In the aughts, a series of new audio companies sprung up, hoping to gnaw into Sony and Bose’s market share: Skullcandy in 2003, Beats By Dre in 2006, Sol Republic in 2010. Though they might vary slightly in quality and bass-heaviness, most headphones then and now are made the same environmentally unfriendly way: with injection-mold virgin plastic, glued together with toxic adhesives, wrapped in more plastic, used for a couple of years and then tossed into a landfill to make room for the upgrade.
Marley’s son Rohan Marley agreed, House of Marley was born, and everything the company makes is made with the planet in mind. That includes using wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, recycled aluminum, silicone from post-consumer waste, and recycled fabric composed of organic cotton, and hemp in place of plastic and cheap wood veneer, wherever possible.
Sustainability means better sound quality, says Cody Brooner, head of product. Materials such as bamboo “are great insulators for sound,” he says. In July, the company launched the Positive Vibration Frequency Headphones and the Champion 2 True Wireless Earbuds. Both are packaged in recyclable packaging built from paper fiber. The over-ear bluetooth headphones offer up to 34 hours of listening and are made with FSC certified wood, recyclable aluminum and sustainable fabric. The earbuds run for 35 hours and are made with a natural wood fiber composite and the company’s sustainable silicone material.