Turn up the “Bambass” with bamboo headphones

In India, a young product designer has created a prototype of 70% biodegradable headphones made out of bamboo.

Twenty-six-year old Aakansh Chaturvedi tells The Better India he chose to pursue headphones because it’s a widely used product globally.  “I found out that it is actually quite difficult to manufacture a headphone without plastic,” he says. “As it sits on the head, it needs to be lightweight and fit every head size. So, I started looking for different ways of integrating all the properties into my design with eco-friendly materials.”

The recent IIT Bombay graduate says it took him three months to produce his first prototype. The bamboo for Bambass is chemically treated with pesticides to kill any termites and then coated with melamine. Bamboo’s variability will make mass production a challenge, but Chaturvedi hopes collaboration with different companies could help address such hurdles.

He also has ambitions beyond headphones.  “I want to create a world where there is an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to every gadget and product available in the market. As a designer, my aspirations will always align with co-existing with nature,” he adds.