Image via The House of Marley

There’s a new line of green audio accessories in town, courtesy of the Marley family.

The House of Marley, a project of Bob Marley’s children, aims to create a better world and spread Bob Marley’s vision of one love, one world through eco-conscious products that embody the values of equality, unity, authenticity, charity, and sustainability, all while giving back to people and the planet.

One of their first ventures is the Marley audio line. It features three collections – Jammin’, Freedom, and Destiny – and includes earbuds, headphones, speakers, and docking stations.

According to the House of Marley’s website:

“Bob believed in a better world, forged from passion, love, and responsibility. Now it’s up to us to turn his ideals into actions and his principles into products. Piece by piece, we’ll create the world he imagined, through products that give joy and give back.”

That’s a pretty tall order. The House of Marley kicks things off with an impressive dedication to green product design and materials selection. Marley audio products are made with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood and use recycled and recyclable aluminum and plastics.

Packaging also gets the green treatment. Recycled and recyclable material is used for packaging, and Marley earbuds and headphones even come with eco-friendly storage bags made of cotton and hemp.

As if the products’ environmental advantages aren’t enough to sell you, a portion of the proceeds benefit 1Love, the Marley family’s nonprofit that supports charities that empower youth, protect our planet, and encourage global peace.

I don’t know about you, but all this sounds like music to my ears.

We’ll find out for sure in spring 2011, when the product line will be available at retailers nationwide.

via BusinessWire

Photo via Solio

Summer’s officially here! And the sunshine it brings with it means good news for outdoor concerts, backyard dance parties, and powering up your iPod or iPhone with a free source of energy.

Solio may look like a prop from the latest Star Trek movie, but it’s actually a solar-powered charger. Spread out the blades to expose the photovoltaic cells and soak up the sun – whether outside or through a window.

Even if you live in a place like…Portland, for example, where the sun can be so scarce that you sometimes doubt its very existence, Solio can still be a practical choice. It only takes one hour of sunshine to produce enough power to talk for 20 minutes or listen to music for 50 minutes.

When the clouds roll in, you can charge Solio by conventional means (i.e. plugging it into a wall socket or computer USB port). As an added bonus, it can charge multiple gadgets at once, including iPods/mp3 players, iPhones/cell phones, and cameras.

Better Energy Systems, the creators of Solio, put a lot of thought into how to design their product as eco-friendly as possible at each stage of its lifecycle. Besides using solar power, these chargers contain recycled plastics, are RoHS compliant, and have a long-life replaceable lithium ion battery.

The battery, as well as the entire device itself, can be sent back to the company for recycling. Better Energy Systems also plants trees to offset the carbon emissions produced by the manufacturing process, making Solio a green standout.

Get it here: Solio (H1000 $80, Classic $100, Magnesium $200)

Photo via Vers

I have grown tired of dragging my laptop around or fumbling with my iPod and headphones whenever I want to rock out somewhere that is not within earshot of my home stereo. After taking a look at Vers’ portable, stylish, and sustainable sound systems, I may have found my solution.

Vers has two models: the 2x, pictured here, and the 1.5R, which doubles as a radio alarm clock. Each system is hand-crafted and is encased in your choice of wood veneers: Cherry, Natural Walnut, Dark Walnut, or Bamboo. The 1.5R is also available in a glossy Piano White. And don’t fear – the wood comes from locally-sourced plantations (no old growth here).

What’s on the inside is just as impressive. Vers sound systems are compliant with the European Union’s RoHS (Restriction on Hazardous Substances) Directive, which means they are free of toxics like lead, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium as well as the nastiest of flame retardants such as polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Thanks to an efficient Class D amplifier, they also run on significantly less energy than traditional amplifiers.

As if I needed another reason to be in love with this product, it all comes minimally packaged in 100% postconsumer recycled materials.

Get it here: Vers (2V $180-$200; 1.5R $200-$220)

Photo via Agent18

Although mp3 players have many advantages over the personal music players of yore (I sure don’t miss having to lug around tapes or CDs), durability isn’t among them. One too many drops on the floor and it’s your $300 iPod Touch’s funeral.

The best thing to do – for our wallets as well as the environment – is to take good care of these devices so they last their longest.

You can protect your iPod or iPhone the eco-friendly way with Agent18′s EcoShield line of cases made from recycled postconsumer plastic bottles.

The packaging is also recyclable, unlike that awful rigid plastic packaging many consumer electronics and accessories use. Opening a box should not require a crowbar and 45 minutes of my precious time. This alone is worth choosing Agent18!

Get it here: Agent 18 ($13-$30)