Bang & Olufsen announces the first speaker that combines audio quality, comfort and sustainability: Beosound Level, which has received certification Cradle to Cradle. The company is among the very first to receive the version 4.0 of the standard for sustainable products. Thanks to modular design, the design speaker with great audio quality can also be said to be environmentally friendly.
Beosound Level, the speaker receives the Cradle to Cradle certification for sustainability
E-waste is a problem that needs immediate solution. In 2019, a total of 44.4 million tons of tech products turned into waste not reusable. A figure that could increase to 77.4 million tons according to estimates by The Global E-waste Monitor.
Bang & Olufsen he explained to us in the event we attended that building long-lasting products has always been his goal. Both to give the best to its customers and to reduce waste and scraps. But the Cradle to Cradle certification guarantees long life for audiophile devices and is based on precise scientific analysis. “From the cradle to the cradle”, this innovative approach aims to ensure that the components used for the speakers such as Beosound Level remain in the production cycle. Circular economy, which ensures maximum sustainability. The first product in consumer electronics to achieve this recognition.
Longevity, mobility and sound quality
Beosound Level is a speaker that matches Bang & Olufsen’s nearly 100 years of experience in the latest technology. The cornerstone of this approach is the possibility of improving this product over time, including through the software component. As for example it happened recently with the arrival of stereo playback on multiple devices through software updates.
But Bang & Olufsen has taken into account several components to ensure the longevity of this product. Also from the point of view emotional: building a stylish device and that it can also have an exchangeable front in order to adapt to the furniture.
The possibility of easily renewing the hardware is also excellent. In a few years, if you would like to change the battery you can do it with a screwdriver and very few technical skills. To meet the rapidly evolving technology, the manufacturer’s development team wanted to put excess computational capacity into this speaker: today it only uses 50% of the power. In this way, one day there is room to introduce new features with a simple update. But it is also easy to change the technical components, for example the chip for wireless streaming.
Finally, consider the possibility of recycling. Modularity allows to easily disassemble the products and separate the different components to recycle them easily. In this way you can throw the various parts in the right way, separating the materials.
Cradle to Cradle, the certification that ensures the sustainability of Beosound Level
At the event we attended we also had the opportunity to speak with a representative of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, founded in 2010. A non-profit that wants to focus on a future of circular economy, starting from product design. The goal is build them for tomorrow, already today.
Everything is a resource for something else: the ultimate goal is to design that eliminate the need for waste. So the Cradle to Cradle Certified Version 4.0 represents the highest level of sustainability in product design. Developed in March, the new standard represents the maximum achievable in terms of sustainability. Evaluating it on two principles of design and the others of production:
- Healthiness of the material
- Circularity of the product
- Production attentive to the climate and emissions
- Conservation of water and soil
- Social sustainability
Based on these principles, it evaluates the sustainable design and production of the product. And since birth, he is seeing a new one attention to circularity and transparency in the supply chain. All values in which Bang & Olufsen claims to reflect itself.
But the attention to obtaining this type of certification, according to the company, also comes from the awareness that the technology sector in recent years has been part of the problem. The average age of products has dropped a lot, we are consuming more and more products without exploiting them for their entire life span. Bang & Olufsen also wants to be part of the solution, by joining initiatives of this type.
And aiming to do it more and more on its product line. For which it ensures a great commitment for each category, with a strategy that will be studied in every detail. Perhaps not for all products there will be a modular design as for Beosound Level but the focus on sustainability for Bang & Olufsen becomes a moral and strategic objective. The company sees the market in offering eco-friendly products and will continue to do so in the coming months. We just have to wait for the next products: we will have to evaluate them not only on the quality of the sound but also on the eco-sustainable commitment.
You can purchase Beosound Level here.