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Gomi ‘Collection One’ Bluetooth Speakers Are To Be Marbled for Their Circular Design

04.10.23 | By
Gomi ‘Collection One’ Bluetooth Speakers Are To Be Marbled for Their Circular Design

If one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure, then UK-based design studio gomi’s efforts to transform 6 tons of LDPE plastic (aka bubble wrap, food packaging, and plastic bags) into marvelously marbled, minimalist portable Bluetooth speakers may prove to become a treasure trove for the design studio aiming to merge carbon neutral sustainability with audio bona fides.

Gomi collection one Bluetooth speaker in Ultraviolet colorway.

Named after the word ‘waste’ in Japanese, the Brighton studio is launching collection one, a limited series of portable Bluetooth speakers swathed in a swirl of colors, a marbled design that isn’t merely aesthetic, but the result of incorporating plastic waste that otherwise would have festered for eternity in a landfill – the equivalent of 44 recycled plastic bags in every speaker manufactured.

Gomi collection one Bluetooth speaker in Panther colorway.

Gomi collection one Bluetooth speaker in Avalanche colorway.

Back corner of Gomi collection one Bluetooth speaker in Panther colorway showing power and volume buttons, alongside AUX input.

A USB-C port permits the gomi speaker to fast charge while an AUX connection invites use with a myriad of audio sources.

Furthermore, instead of relying upon virgin lithium batteries to power their speakers, gomi collection one speakers use e-bike lithium batteries salvaged and reconditioned to see yet another day.

Corner detail of Gomi collection one Bluetooth speaker in Ultraviolet colorway.

The limited edition collection features three colorways, with every speaker completely unique in their marbled design, a ‘one of one’ numbered edition – the design finish equivalent of a fingerprint. The 5.0 Bluetooth wireless speaker’s specs include an impressive 32-hour battery life and can also be used connected to a source via AUX input, as well the option to pair them to operate together.

Gomi co-founder and Chief Design Officer Tom Meades notes the colorful and vibrant design balances both an expressive art world vibe with a functional minimalism. “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,” says Meades. “Our obsession with circularity underpins this, taking the lead at every step in our design process.”

Closeup of Gomi collection one Bluetooth speaker in Avalanche colorway.

The brand’s core ethos is one that perpetually challenges the team to design products where the consumer is empowered to believe they’ve purchased an item designed to last, abstaining from the use of glue adhesive to permit for a more modular and repairable approach to consumer electronics.

Blow-up views of gomi speaker's componentry,

Beyond simply using “sustainability” as a marketing tactic, gomi is backing up their efforts with the establishment of trade-in, repair, and product upgrading facilities. Each of the speaker’s 29 components can be easily separated and replaced or repaired, and Bluetooth connectivity can be upgraded.

Gomi’s ‘collection one’ is a limited run collection and available now for $389 exclusively at the gomi website in Panther, Ultraviolet, and Avalanche.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.