The collection designed and handmade in the UK gives new life to over 6 tonnes of waste material, with each speaker made from the equivalent of 45 plastic bags alongside second-life e-bike batteries As part of gomi’s circular philosophy the brand offers trade-ins, repairs and a fully modular design in all of their products – ensuring product longevity and full circularity. The speakers have been calibrated to deliver superior sound quality with the ability to pair speakers together for a surround sound experience.  The limited edition collection features three colourways in the design studio’s signature marbling pattern with each being part of a unique ‘one of one’ numbered edition The speakers have been designed and made in the UK at gomi’s Brighton studio

Brighton-based sustainable design studio gomi announce the launch of ‘collection one’, a limited series of portable bluetooth speakers in the studio’s signature marbling texture made from waste plastic and second-life e-bike batteries. The new collection offers superior sound quality and the ability to pair speakers together to deliver a surround sound experience.

In the current climate of mass production, low-cost and low-quality products, gomi aims to promote conscious purchase decisions. Inspired by the cradle-to-cradle design process, the carbon neutral brand considers the full lifecycle of its products and demonstrates how good design can provide solutions to the urgent post-consumer waste problem. The brand is on a mission to transform how we see waste. Showcasing how a sustainable and a forward thinking approach to design can create not only beautiful products, but inject personality back into an ever greying, monochrome tech category.

‘collection one’’ will give new life to over 6 tonnes of waste material. Featuring a rectangular body and available in three colourways which have been inspired by artworks, each speaker is made from the equivalent of 45 plastic bags and reused lithium batteries from e-bike batteries.

All handmade in Brighton, each speaker is totally unique. The brand’s signature marbling pattern means every speaker will have its own distinctive aesthetic, no two speakers, even in the same colourway, will ever be like for like. To highlight this, each speaker will feature a unique edition number as part of the limited release.

Despite rising consumer awareness, corporate attention and regulation, there is more single-use virgin plastic than ever before. Flexible plastic (LDPE) such as bubble wrap, food packaging and plastic bags account for 290,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year. Not currently recycled by councils in the UK, the flexible plastic waste is destined for landfill.

The design studio has developed an innovative process and artisanal approach to repurposing flexible plastics into collectible products that last. Working with local recycling companies, gomi sources raw material from waste streams that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated and is able to process this into a raw material which uses traditional craft techniques alongside modern manufacturing to result in unique statement pieces.

Rishi Gupta, co-founder and CEO at gomi comments: “At gomi we envision a world where waste is not seen as a problem, but as a resource that can be transformed into beautiful and unique masterpieces that fuse form and function. We believe that design is a force for change that can inspire equitable solutions to our throwaway culture, by acknowledging the value of waste and our responsibility towards all the stakeholders of our planet. We are more than just a tech brand – we’re a movement that is pushing the boundaries of sustainability and creativity, where each product is a symbol of individuality, our commitment to repair and our fight against planned obsolescence.”

Tom Meades, co-founder and Chief Design Officer at gomi comments: “gomi pulls its inspiration from two worlds – the art world, with loud, vibrant colourful expression mixed with a rule-breaking spirit, and the design world – bringing minimalism, function and clean polished finishes. We think of our aesthetic as a collision between Dieter Rams and Picasso and it’s the fine balance between the two that can be seen in ‘collection one’. Our obsession with circularity underpins this, taking the lead at every step in our design process. Every material and design decision is filtered through our thinking ‘can it be repaired easily, can it be recycled easily’ – this is why we’re anti-glue, pro-modularity, and proudly repair-for-life. At gomi we are proving that there is a process to recycling properly, that we can create exciting products from waste, and bring beauty and individuality into tech.”

gomi will offer trade-in, repair and product upgrading facilities. The modular design ensures that each of the 29 components can be easily separated and replaced or repaired, and bluetooth connectivity can be upgraded. Customers will also be offered trade-in credits for the purchase of a new product ensuring the material is recycled and reintroduced into the supply chain.

The gomi portable speaker features 32 hour battery life with 5.0 Bluetooth and AUX connectivity as well as the ability to pair speakers together. ‘collection one’ will be a limited run available in three colourways: Panther, Ultraviolet and Avalanche and will retail for £299. The speakers will be exclusively available via the gomi website from 21st March 2023.