Innovation That Matters

The Gomi speakers | Photo source Gomi

Portable speakers made from old e-bike batteries

Computing & Tech

A British sustainable design business is set to upcycle battery packs from Lime e-bikes and e-scooters and turn them into portable Bluetooth speakers

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Spotted: Brighton-based sustainable design business, Gomi, have been upcycling plastic waste and creating consumer tech that can be fully circular, high performance, and have a desirable aesthetic. In 2018, the company released the world’s first portable speaker made from non-recyclable repurposed plastic, and since then they have added portable chargers and wireless mag chargers to their portfolio. Now, they have teamed up with transportation company Lime, to produce portable speakers that are powered by rechargeable second-life batteries from the company’s e-bikes.

Lime’s electric scooters and e-bikes are modular, which means that their parts can be swapped out or repaired, and all the materials that make up the vehicles can be recycled. Gomi’s goal is to take it one step further and give the e-scooter and e-bikes’ core batteries a second life. The battery cells will be removed to be cleaned and tested for charging capacity. If they pass, they can then be made into battery packs for Gomi’s speakers. Similar to the company’s other products, the speakers will have a marbled exterior made from recycled plastic packaging waste that has been deemed non-recyclable by UK councils.

Currently, Gomi has 50,000 battery cells from Lime’s Balham and Walthamstow warehouses in London, which can produce 12,500 speakers. The 25W speakers will be available on Kickstarter in four different colour schemes: Birthday Cake, Black Mono, Blue Ocean, and Lime Green. They cost €115 at a super early bird price, which will then increase to €174. The company hope to have all the speakers made by October 2021, so deliveries can be made before Christmas.

Written By: Serafina Basciano

Explore more: Computing & Tech Innovations | Sustainability Innovations

Email: hello@gomi.design

Website: gomi.design

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