High-end headphones feature tree bioplastic

In Tennessee, Eastman Chemical says its tree-based engineering bioplastics are being used in premium headphones manufactured by Ontario’s thinksound. The over-ear headphones, dubbed ov21, use Eastman’s Trēva™ engineering bioplastic that contains more than 40% biobased content derived from sustainably harvested trees. ov21 is available on preorder for shipping in October. 

“We’re a company that has always had sustainability as part of our mission,” says Aaron Fournier, president and founder of thinksound. “Historically, we’ve achieved this by using wood and other natural or recyclable components. That created a challenge with new product development because we had to minimize the use of plastic. Trēva offered us an opportunity to develop headphones in an environmentally responsible way while meeting our rigorous standards for acoustic performance.”

Eastman says Trēva is USDA Certified Biobased® and offers excellent acoustic properties, durability, chemical resistance, and processability.