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Wireless Charging, Now in Linen and Leather

Is this the right direction?

By Rain Noe - October 28

in Tech

When I was in design school, a professor told us that technology would reduce the amount of objects in our lives. To some extent, that has happened; the smartphone took the place of cell phones, media players, cameras and daily planners. But the smartphone then spawned additional product ecosystems of its own.

Take wireless charging. The thought was to get rid of the cable. Reduce, right? Wrong. Wireless charging means we've now got objects that would've looked strange a decade ago, like this Mag:2 charging stand and Mag:3 charging tray from tech accessory brand Courant. Most of the offerings we've seen in this space are plastic and metal, but the brand is hoping to stand out by skinning their objects in leather or linen.

While the addition of fabric makes the objects more touch-friendly, I'd guess it also makes them more difficult to recycle. I'm not sure that's the right choice; as charging tech evolves, do you think these objects will still be in service in ten years' time?

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Dee An

a month ago

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It could be designed in such a way that the leather tray can be removed from the wireless charger so that should it no longer work as a charger the leather tray can still be used as a tray.
Bonding the leather to other materials makes recycling or sage disposal more difficult. However, making objects from materials that remain attractive and useful for many years can result in less waste.
In any case, this object will likely last several years, longer than many a pair of boots or shoes - made from leather glued to polymer soles.

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Tyson Brazille

a month ago

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This is a great point and a valid example of taking a long extensive look at how capitalism affects the ever responsible agenda of sustainability. Sustainability in theory works in a vacuum across the board and as a whole. However, who stands to loose and who will evolve to capture opportunities that are purely capital driven?

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