Usually, headphones are made of materials that are difficult to say eco-friendly, such as plastic, iron, or synthetic leather. However, deterioration of the ear pads and damage to the moving parts may occur as early as within a year or two. In this respect, it is difficult to say that it is an environmentally friendly product for the earth.
However, Finnish design company Aivan draws attention by making headphones with materials made of microbial growth in order to make headphones thoroughly natural materials.
This project started when I was making a documentary for teaching synthetic biology, but I was dissatisfied with the lack of concrete examples of applying research to various materials and making something. Having joined hands with universities and research centers to produce.
The Kovaa made in this way is made of bioplastic made from yeast-produced lactic acid as a material, and is molded by a 3D printer, and the foam protein made by a type of mold, ear cushions using cellulose, and the mesh that protects the speaker are also created by microorganisms. Knitted with a spider thread-like material. The ear cup part is said to be formed of a complex of mycelium and cellulose.
These headphones are made entirely of natural materials, but are still in the prototype stage. In its current state, none of the electrical components such as the driver unit and cables are included. Although this product does not appear on the market as a finished product, the company intends to develop this concept. Although it may not be headphones, there is a good possibility that natural materials products using materials created by bioengineering will be commercialized in the future. Related information can be found here .