Every year, we globally throw out up to 44 million tons of electronic
garbage. Only a small fraction of it gets recycled, leaving landfills
full of heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, that can bleed into the
ground. To help slow the pileup—and inspire other companies to do the
same Urbanears, a Swedish
headphones maker, is trying something new. Instead of tossing large
stocks of unsold headphones, the company disassembles them and uses the
ear cups, headbands, and hinges to create the Re:Plattan headphones.
Each pair has brand-new guts, contains about 60 percent repurposed
material, and, because the components vary in color, has its own unique
look.
After the initial, limited run of 3,000 Re:Plattans,
designers will have to wait for a new supply of parts or find an
untapped source. While the company plans to experiment with other
material streams, it's also toying with the idea of a true recycling
program, in which consumers can donate old headphones to the cause.
Urbanears Re:Plattan
Frequency range: 20hz–20khz
Repurposed parts: 60 percent
Price:$80
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