Industrial Design

EOPS - Noisezero Sports+

Our collaboration with EOps grew into one of the most sustained explorations of sustainable materials in our practice. It began in 2010 with the Noisezero i+ Eco, the first cornstarch earbuds on the market, developed in partnership with New York music technology brand EOps and launched exclusively through Colette in Paris. The earbuds used eco-friendly cornstarch bio-plastics for the acoustic chamber and microphone housing, a material choice that also shaped the sound: the horn-shaped chamber naturally optimises treble performance, and the large bass reflect port at the rear provides strong bass. They came in four colours and were followed by the Noisezero O+, over-ear headphones made from recyclable stainless steel, aluminium and cornstarch bio-plastics, also produced in partnership with Colette.

In 2012 we extended the collaboration to include Coca-Cola, producing the Noisezero Sport+, the world's first in-ear headphones built from recycled PET derived from plastic bottles. The recycled PET from a single bottle yields ten pairs of earphones. The Sport+ features a 9mm HD titanium driver unit, a sweat-proof sportsfin structure designed for a secure fit during physical activity, and a three-button remote and microphone module compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod. Alongside the earphones we also designed the Outcover Messenger+ and Outcover Backpack+, bags manufactured from the rPET of 35 and 28 plastic bottles respectively.