The ultimate eco-friendly accessory, Jay Verma’s upcycled sports ball speaker – the coolest new gadget on the block.
Inspiring Journey of Discarded Sports Balls into Bluetooth Speakers.
In a world where the voices of school students and youth are often overlooked, Jay Verma, a 12th-grader from Modern School, New Delhi, is proving that no idea is too small and no impact is too insignificant. Despite the pressures of academic life, Jay has taken it upon himself to dedicate 4-6 hours every week to his passion project: upcycling discarded sports balls into functional audio speakers.
Jay’s initiative is not only a proof to his creativity and determination but also a much needed example of the impact that young people can have when given the support and encouragement they deserve. On the Voice of MOSAIC show with host Sonali Semwal, Jay so eloquently puts it, “every small action counts, and every small idea has the potential to make a big difference. My idea is just that, to show the world that things we often put away, in my case the once used and discarded sports balls, can get a new life and not reach landfills.”
Here’s giving you the statistics which are staggering: approximately 5,000 to 6,000 sports balls are thrown away daily in India, with the majority ending up in landfills (Source: “Waste Management in India” by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change). These discarded balls, made from materials like leather, rubber, and plastic, take hundreds of years to decompose, releasing toxic chemicals and pollutants into the environment. And if they don’t go through adequate waste management, burning them will release toxic chemicals into air and soil. Already India is dealing with inaction and inadequate and ineffective policies and initiatives to control waste management, and pollution caused by waste and burning of waste. Cities like New Delhi are seeing activists, NGOs and private bodies take the responsibility I their hands – which we want to highlight here is a positive action that signifies the role of society on such issues.
Jay’s innovative solution to this problem is a cool, repurposed Bluetooth speaker that will appeal to children, youth, and wider consumers alike. Each upcycled speaker is carefully crafted from a discarded sports ball, with the leather outer layer being preserved and restored to its former glory. The inner layer is carefully removed, and replaced with Bluetooth speaker – Jay emphasizes that the speaker components are also recycled, which once were lying in e-waste centres even though they were in a working and good condition. The finished ball speakers are lighter than the ball’s original weight. Moreover, the speaker’s already established design which is the ball’s exterior reminds one of the sport, its tales and its legacy. This way the speakers are the perfect companion for music and sports lovers on-the-go.
But Jay’s initiative is not just about creating a cool product; it’s about spreading awareness about the importance of sustainability and waste reduction. By upcycling discarded sports balls, Jay is reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and conserving natural resources. This 12-grader’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of youth representation on global and environmental issues. As the future leaders of our planet, it is imperative that young people like Jay are given a voice and a platform to share their ideas and initiatives. In recent years, we have seen significant youth-led activism and advocacy on environmental issues, from Boyan Slat, at 16, designed the Ocean Cleanup project. In India, young leaders like climate activist Licypriya Kangujam and education activist Taarush Grover are doing phenomenal work.
Jay Verma, tells us the speakers are named UpBeat, a combination of words, upcycled and beat meaning music. When asked on what his school principal, classmates and teachers have to say – “My school principal is very supportive and encouraged my idea, the same is for teachers and my close friends, they helped me through to go ahead and put my idea to execution”. Jay also tells us the feedback of friends helped him work on his prototype and refine the speaker quality. On the show VOICE of MOSAIC podcast, Jay shares a hopeful and strong message to Indian cricketer Jaspreet Bumrah to support his sports ball initiative.
The young innovator has big plans to work with other discarded sports gear especially shoes and see how they can be upcycled into Bluetooth speakers. He aims to connect with cricket associations, more members of society to support him with collection drives and in sales of the UpBeat speakers, proceeds of which Jay big-heartedly donates to an NGO he is associated with to promote sports and sustainability. Jay’s message as he leaves for home, to prepare for his 12 grade board examinations is to inspire young students like him to take up sustainability innovations and initiatives so that world is better place for all.
MOSAIC celebrates sustainability highlighting inspirations, stories and innovations, we are delighted to amplify here the voice of a young champion of sustainability – Jay Verma. Join Jay’s mission to upcycle and make a difference! Donate your used sports balls today and help spread the word about the importance of sustainability.
By reducing waste and promoting sustainable consumption, Jay’s upcycling initiative supports the achievement of SDGs 12 and 13, driving progress towards a more environmentally conscious future.