material record creates noon speaker using recycled waste

Noon speaker by material record is made of recycled materials

Material Record releases its first speaker named ‘noon’, an audio device made of recycled fuel tanks, denim scraps, construction waste, and pieces of plastic that have been washed up on the shore. It’s a research and development project by the Nomura Group, namely between Nomura Medias Co., Ltd. and Nomura Co., Ltd., focusing on the theme of materials and global resources. Material Record’s noon speaker features a pillar design inspired by architecture and is made up of nine different recycled materials overall.

Material Record produces six speakers for noon, each of which has a different frequency band. There’s also a vacuum-tube amplifier, and the sound the speaker emits is rich, thanks to the use of the recycled materials and without leaning so much on the use of additional technological tools. The tower-like audio device is modular too, as users can reassemble and restack the divided parts. The design teams assemble the noon speaker as part of their research projects focusing on recycling materials from the construction and interior design industries.

all images courtesy of Nomura Co., Ltd.

Audio device with upcycled denim scraps and food waste

Marine litter and discarded plastic, including the pieces washed up on the beach shore, also make up Material Record’s noon speaker. The team collects waste, including crushed film camera containers left over after developing, discarded packaging from pharmaceutical and confectionery packages, and marine plastic litter. They crush all the objects they gathered and solidify it into a composite resin material. They also add processed and discarded vegetables and food waste into the mix, and the ones Material Record uses are 100 percent natural, so they can be returned to the soil after use.

They retain their natural scent, so users may catch a whiff of this recycled food waste around the noon speaker. For the plastering material, the team upcycles shredded denim scraps from factories in Japan. They’re recyclable, can be used in production without using adhesives, and can be recycled again by soaking them in water and peeling them off from the noon speaker. Material Record also applies a felt-like fabric made from cork and wool waste, recycled aluminum honeycomb panels, composite board made of natural stone mined in Sri Lanka, and a copper plate with patina. The team says they developed this patina in six hours, whereas the process can usually take years to develop.

Material Record releases its first speaker named ‘noon’