Could “microbe-grown” headphones be the future?
In spite of the plastic in most of the e-waste produced every year is recyclable, it just lands up in landfills. Electronics in general also produce a high amount of toxic waste that accumulates in landfills too. In the face of climate change, there is a need for more versatile and natural materials.
Finnish design house Aivan have taken on this challenge to produce a concept pair of headphones with naturally derived materials. They replaced everything they could with fungus, bioplastics, and other natural materials.
They called this the Korvaa headset. The main frame is 3D printed using “bioplastic created as a byproduct of yeast processing lactic acid.” The padded earpieces are made from hydrophobic, an artificial foam like protein structure, produced by fungus and plant cellulose; and covered with mycelium, another fungus-derived material.
Although these headphones are a concept only—meaning they do not actually work—they demonstrate the possibility for the industry to go plastic-free. In an age where technology is advancing at a higher rate, electronics are often disposed off fairly quickly. If we the industry takes notice and makes a move towards degradable plastic, we will all take a huge step towards better sustainability.
Read more about these headphones here.
