Taking a sustainable stance when refreshing your sound system? Firstly, we recommend going
second-hand. Buying something already in circulation is, of course, ideal, however, if you have your
heart set on something slighter newer, then take a closer look at our Brighton-based studio’s gomi — the most sustainable bluetooth speaker currently on the market.
A deft and conscious modular design allows for unlimited repairs — we craft with the end of tech obsolescence in mind. Over time, things naturally need fixing, but instead of ending up in landfill, like most products, our speaker can be broken down into parts (no components are glued together during manufacturing), allowing our team to effortlessly repair the area that needs attention. Add in the fact that gomi products are made from 100% ‘non-recyclable’ plastics sourced from waste and are powered by second-life lithium batteries, and you have one truly earth-friendly bluetooth speaker— made from the equivalent waste of 44 plastic bags.
When we compare our speaker to that of other market-leading portable products (of similar size and weight), gomi comes out on top: our carbon footprint is 50.4% lower. But we didn’t stop there — even though our footprint is significantly less than others in the industry, we still offset our CO2 emissions. Most speakers available have 0-5% of post-consumer waste streams in terms of product weight — it's 43.9% for gomi.
Forward thinking early-adopters might already be thinking about our next release. With our trade-in service, consumers can replace their old speaker for a new one — or any other product we launch. Circularity is ingrained in everything we do at gomi.
Still want more industry insights? We’ve done the leg-work for you — compare gomi to other portable products on the market below.
The gomi speaker —
Waste/sustainable materials: 4/5
Reparability: 5/5
Upgradability: 4/5
Recyclability: 4/5
House of Marley —
Take House of Marley’s Get Together Solo Bluetooth Speaker for example: it boasts production from 30% reclaimed hemp, 30% reclaimed organic cotton and 40% recycled PET, however, currently no data is given on the specificities of these materials and where they come from. Additionally, traditional lithium ion batteries are used in the House of Marley speakers, which have not been
reclaimed from previous sources — hence they carry a hefty carbon footprint to manufacture and require rare materials to make. The brand also utilises hard glue meaning their speakers do not allow for easy dismantling and repairing, which drastically reduces the lifespan of the product, meaning that it reaches its end of life (and landfill) sooner.
Waste/sustainable materials: 3/5
Repairability: 1/5
Upgradability: 1/5
Recyclability: 2/5
Transparent speaker —
Described as ‘unapologetically stripped back to include only the essential’, Swedish brand Transparent’s speakers use minimal materials, however, they are made using 100% virgin materials with their own carbon footprint — not materials from sustainable sources. Design is adaptable: upgrade and repair is ingrained in their ethos: the speakers can be easily dismantled for fixing and
have simple, easily replaced components. Expect a long-life tech product that’s also fully recyclable and rentable (in Sweden only), if you so choose.
Waste/sustainable materials: 3/5
Repairability: 4/5
Upgradability: 4/5
Recyclability: 4/5
JBL Go 3 Eco —
The external materials in JBL’s ‘Eco Series’ come from sustainable sources — 90% post-consumer recycled plastic with 100% recycled fabric on the speaker grille. They may come delivered in sustainable packaging, however, when it comes to carbon footprint, the source of the internal components — such as the speakers, circuit board and driver — is most important. These product parts are not sustainably sourced. Neither are the speakers designed to be easily dismantled or repaired. In fact. they have to be pried apart using special tools.
Waste/sustainable materials: 2/5
Repairability: 1/5
Upgradability: 1/5
Recyclability: 1/5
