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Non-recyclable plastic waste recycled into portable speakers

Non-recyclable plastic waste recycled into portable speakers
The Gomi speaker is made using plastic waste that is not accepted for recycling by UK municipalities
The Gomi speaker is made using plastic waste that is not accepted for recycling by UK municipalities 
View 7 Images
The mushed up flexible plastic waste is melted and compressed into molds to make the Gobi speaker housing modules
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The mushed up flexible plastic waste is melted and compressed into molds to make the Gobi speaker housing modules
The mushed up flexible plastic waste is melted and compressed into molds to make the Gobi speaker housing modules
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The mushed up flexible plastic waste is melted and compressed into molds to make the Gobi speaker housing modules
Most municipalities in the UK do not accept flexible plastic for recycling
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Most municipalities in the UK do not accept flexible plastic for recycling
The mushed up flexible plastic waste is melted and compressed before being shaped in molds to make the Gobi speaker housing modules
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The mushed up flexible plastic waste is melted and compressed before being shaped in molds to make the Gobi speaker housing modules
Each Gomi speaker will look unique thanks to a marbling effect created by hand
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Each Gomi speaker will look unique thanks to a marbling effect created by hand
Each 138 x 270 x 80 mm Gomi speaker is home to one dome tweeter and one midrange driver, and Bluetooth 4.0 for wireless streaming
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Each 138 x 270 x 80 mm Gomi speaker is home to one dome tweeter and one midrange driver, and Bluetooth 4.0 for wireless streaming
The Gomi speaker is made using plastic waste that is not accepted for recycling by UK municipalities
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The Gomi speaker is made using plastic waste that is not accepted for recycling by UK municipalities 
View gallery - 7 images

Plastic is something of a modern curse. It's diversity and usefulness has led to a global waste problem that's choking our oceans, land and air. While some plastics can be recycled relatively easily, others like bubble wrap and stretchy pallet wrap may not be accepted by municipalities. Gomi design studio out of Brighton, UK, is looking to do something about that, and has created a portable wireless speaker that's made using recycled flexible plastics.

"We were inspired by the cradle-to-cradle design process, thinking about our products full-lifecycle right from the beginning of our design process," said Gomi's Tom Meades. "With our Bluetooth speakers, we want to intercept a waste stream that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated. Flexible plastics/LDPE is widely regarded as non-recyclable by UK councils, and so we thought this would be the perfect material to harness and show that through innovative design this can be valuable, and does not have to end up as waste polluting our environment. Instead, we can craft this material into desirable objects."

The mushed up flexible plastic waste is melted and compressed into molds to make the Gobi speaker housing modules
The mushed up flexible plastic waste is melted and compressed into molds to make the Gobi speaker housing modules

The three modules that make up each speaker are made from the equivalent of about 100 plastic bags, which are melted, compressed and molded into speaker housings. The fabrication process also involves creating marble-like patterns by hand – which means that each speaker can be made to look unique.

The design studio has partnered with local wholesalers in Sussex to source the necessary plastic waste, which might otherwise go to landfill or be incinerated. Gomi is also accepting household plastic waste, and is currently looking at other ways to intercept non-recyclable flexible plastic waste.

As for the internals, each 138 x 270 x 80 mm (5.4 x 10.6 x 3.1 in) speaker is home to one dome tweeter and one midrange driver, and Bluetooth 4.0 for wireless streaming. Listeners can look forward to 18 hours of playback per charge of its internal battery.

Each 138 x 270 x 80 mm Gomi speaker is home to one dome tweeter and one midrange driver, and Bluetooth 4.0 for wireless streaming
Each 138 x 270 x 80 mm Gomi speaker is home to one dome tweeter and one midrange driver, and Bluetooth 4.0 for wireless streaming

Gomi is also making a portable power brick encased in the same material, which features a 20,000 mAh Li-ion battery and USB-C, standard USB and fast charging USB 3.0 ports for cabling up to device charging ports.

To fund production, the design studio has launched on Kickstarter. Pledges for a Gomi speaker start at £195 (about US$260) and, if all goes to plan, shipping is estimated to start in November. The Gomi charger/power bank is pitched at £39, and also has an estimated shipping date of November, 2019. The video below has more.

Sources: Gomi, Kickstarter

Portable Speaker Made From Plastic Waste ♻️

View gallery - 7 images
2 comments
2 comments
Username
Since it was recycled it is clearly recyclable.
rude.dawg
Plastics aren't a curse, neither are they a problem. The problem is that we generally discard plastics after only using them once. The solution is to use them more often:
https://www.plasticroad.eu/en/ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-29/melbourne-company-rubbish-recycling-plastic-bag-road/9812450 http://www.roadsonline.com.au/recycled-plastic-used-in-airport-asphalt/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/europes-first-bridge-made-from-recycled-plastic/ https://www.replas.com.au/products/furniture/ https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-43074644