Eco-Friendly Phone Cases

In our last post, we wrote about the global problem of e-waste. Here’s another side effect of the pace at which we discard old technologies.

By 2020 more than 3 billion people will own a smartphone and 90% of people will have a phone case. That’s 2,700,000,000 phone cases. With the average person keeping their phone for 22 months and one billion new phones purchased a year, the number of phone cases being thrown away is growing and growing.

Today, the overwhelming majority of phone cases are made of plastic and end up in landfills where, like other plastic products, they pollute groundwater, take hundreds of years to break down, and release toxic chemicals into the environment.

But you don’t have to contribute to the problem! There are many high-quality, eco-friendly phone case options that will protect your phone and our planet. These cases are made of natural, sustainable, recycled, or biodegradable materials and they are serious about protection. Here are some of our favorites:

 

Compostable phone cases

Made of bioplastic and other natural materials, compostable phone cases have the feel of a
traditional phone case without environmental harm. But consumers need to be careful!
Some cases are marked as 100% compostable, but may not be in reality. Sometimes
“compostable” phone cases include materials that aren’t really biodegradable or have non-compostable materials such as felts or fabrics added to them. The bottom line: make sure to do your research about the full list of materials.

Wood/Bamboo Phone Cases

Often sourced from reclaimed wood or responsibility managed forests, these phone cases come in a variety of designs and with unique engravings, taking craftsmanship to a new level. Here too consumers need to do research. Some wood cases are actually plastic coated with wood. 

Cork Phone Cases

Because cork trees don’t have to be cut down to harvest their bark, these cases are sustainable. They protect your phone without harming the habitat of over 13,000 species of animals, plants, and insects, which are only found in cork forests. Be sure to verify that there are no plastic materials to be used.

 
Recycled/Upcycled Phone Cases

These phone cases are creative! They’re made of all different types of materials including reclaimed ocean plastic, skateboards, bicycle inner tubes, junk food wrappers, and tennis ball sleeves.