BE OPEN BLOG

As consumers demand smarter, greener products, designers are responding with inventive approaches to one of our most personal tech companions. Earphones are evolving from sealed plastic objects into modular kits, bio engineered experiments and clever composites.

Kibu, the vivid children’s headphones created by Morrama in partnership with Batch.Works, turn sustainability into an activity rather than a specification sheet. Designed for kids aged five to eleven, the product arrives as a set of interchangeable recycled PLA components made from agricultural packaging waste. Softer elements such as the headband cushion use TPU, creating a comfortable fit without complicating the material palette. Crucially, each part simply snaps into place. Young users are encouraged to build the headphones themselves, sparking curiosity about how everyday objects function.

This click together construction does more than boost engagement. It creates a natural pathway toward repair. Because there are no screws or glue, children learn they can swap or replace a component when it wears out rather than discarding the entire product. Batch.Works fabricates each piece through FDM 3D printing, leaving visible striations that become part of the headphones’ aesthetic. Printing on demand reduces energy consumption and eliminates excess inventory, while also enabling colour customisation and headband adjustments as a child grows.

Morrama and Batch.Works now aim to embed invisible identifiers into future parts. The goal is complete batch and material traceability that supports a data driven circular economy. For parents this translates to a purchase that improves over time. For kids it means an early lesson in responsible making. Kibu demonstrates that sustainability can be tactile, empowering and joyful. It also sets the stage for broader conversations about localised, on demand manufacturing in consumer tech.

If Kibu turns headphone assembly into an educational game, House of Marley’s Liberate Air earbuds bring sustainability into the fast paced world of daily listening. These wireless pods combine bamboo, aluminium and a recycled plastic PLA blend, removing virgin plastic from the equation. Regrind silicone, made from reclaimed and disposed silicone, forms the ear cushions. Even the charging case continues the theme. It relies on a composite of recycled polypropylene and sawdust fibres, paired with the brand’s Rewind fabric that blends recycled PET with reclaimed cotton and hemp.

Although the materials take centre stage, ease of use remains a priority. The buds feature touch controls, Bluetooth connectivity and up to nine hours of listening before needing to recharge. Their IPX4 rating means they can withstand sweat and splashes, making them practical for outdoor workouts. The case provides an additional 2.5 charges for a combined 32 hours of runtime. It is a thoughtful calibration of sustainability and durability, packaged into a compact everyday object.

By blending eco conscious materials with mainstream features, House of Marley invites a wider audience into the world of sustainable audio. The product avoids the trap of framing sustainability as a sacrifice. Instead it positions responsible material choices as a natural evolution of good design.

While the first two stories focus on repairability and recycled materials, Aivan’s Korvaa headphones take sustainability into speculative territory. Developed with scientists from VTT and Aalto University, the concept is built from six microbially grown substances and serves as a showcase for synthetic biology. The rigid frame uses a petroleum free PLA derived from lactic acid produced by baker’s yeast. Soft foams grow from trichoderma reesei, a fungus known for its airy, bubble like protein structures. These are stabilised with plant cellulose and then wrapped in a mycelium based leather that adds comfort and resilience.

A different microbial protein, modelled on spider silk, forms the mesh that covers the speakers. Researchers gather the ultrafine fibres through electrospinning and assemble them into a durable web. Other components blend microbial cellulose with mycelium to create additional structural parts. The result is less a consumer product and more a scientific provocation. Korvaa demonstrates how biological processes can replace extraction heavy manufacturing methods and produce materials with unique performance qualities.

Although the headphones are not intended for mass production, they hint at a future in which the boundary between product design and biological cultivation becomes increasingly porous. They also provide a natural bridge back to the earlier examples. Where Kibu teaches children to understand and care for their electronics, and Liberate Air shows how recycled materials can meet everyday demands, Korvaa suggests that tomorrow’s headphones might actually grow themselves.