Brighton-based design studio Gomi created a portable speaker made from flexible plastic that is normally not recyclable by local councils in the UK.

Annually, the UK alone throws away 300 million kilograms (661 million pounds) of flexible plastic waste. This flexible plastic (LDPE) consists of plastic bags, bubble wrap, and pallet wrap, none of which is accepted by UK councils for recycling.

Gomi’s aim is to introduce consumer electronic products made from waste materials that are otherwise destined for the landfill.

The speaker is made from three modular marbled-plastic components, which are made with a combination of traditional craft techniques and digital fabrication. The components are hand-marbled, making each speaker unique. Each speaker is made from an equivalent of 100 plastic bags worth of flexible plastics.

“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,” Tom Meades, cofounder of Gomi says. “Instead, we can craft this material into desirable objects.”

Gomi aims to offer free repairs for their products, and free returning for recycling. The speakers are modular, so they can be separated easily, and the plastic components can be melted down and turned into new parts for future products, without degrading.

In addition to a nice aesthetic, the design studio worked with audio professionals and. Electronic engineers to ensure that the speakers have a great sound.

On 26 February, Gomi will start a Kickstarter campaign. Alongside the speaker, they will also offer a portable powerbank for smartphones made of the same waste material.

Photos: Gomi