Sony has unveiled sustainable packaging made from natural materials for its earbuds series as part of its efforts to reduce plastic use.
Designed for the WF-1000XM4 headphones, the packaging is made from what the company calls Sony Original Blend Material, which is created from bamboo, sugarcane fibres and post-consumer recycled paper.
“The purpose of using this material is to ‘communicate’ to customers to make them more aware of the environment,” said Kenichi Hirose, designer at the Creative Center of Sony Group.
Words and text used on the packaging are reproduced through embossing without the use of ink. It is also uncoloured to retain an organic look, offering safer handling and lower resource use.
“There are cost issues with the use of environmentally friendly materials, but we were able to overcome these by downsizing the entire product and reducing the area of packaging materials,” said Keita Sakane, electrical manager, mobile product business division, at Sony Corporation.
Sony said it aims to use ‘Original Blend Material’ in the future for a wider range of products.
“Environmental awareness is not something that can be achieved simply by providing products,” Hirose added. “Environmental cycles occur depending on the actions of those who understand that concept.
“We hope this packaging will help to communicate the message to people.”
