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Looking for an eco-friendly and sustainable phone case? I’ve been on the hunt for one for the past couple of months and thought I’d share some eco-friendly phone cases that I found. Along with what makes each one sustainable and different from other sustainable phone cases. And some of the cons and customer reviews I took into consideration when trying to decide which phone case to get.
There were essentially four things I was looking for: (1) what type of material is the phone case made of? (2) how do I properly dispose of it once I’m done with it? ex. is it home compostable? does the company offer a send-back recycling program? (3) is the case long-lasting and durable based on customer reviews? (4) and it’s gotta look good!
And extra bonus points go to supporting companies that donate to social causes, use sustainable, plant-based, or recycled materials, offer a closed-loop system, and that’s located near me.
I ended up ordering one from a brand listed below, see which one I decided to get at the very end of this post!
Sustainable Phone Cases
Here are some eco-friendly and sustainable phone cases that I found:
Reveal – Wood Phone Cases
Reveal is known for its wood tech accessories, so naturally, they have a collection of phone cases made with sustainable and renewable materials like wood, cork, and bamboo. Reveal also donates to select non-profits (so far, $110K donated) and plants a tree for every product sold.
What makes Reveal phone cases sustainable?
Reveal offers several styles of phone cases, some of which are made of cork material or bamboo. They also have a collection of cases made with wood and/or a blend of wood and plastic resin.
But note that Reveal cases are not compostable. Their cases have an inner shell made of poly-carbonate (PVC-free) and the inside lining is made of recycled polyester micro-suede.
What makes Reveal different from other sustainable phone cases?
- wood, cork, and bamboo case offers a unique look and feels sturdy
Cons:
- Reveal only has iPhone cases (check out 15:21 if you want a cork phone case for Android or iPhone, they’re based in Sweden)
- their cases are not compostable or biodegradable as they contain a plastic lining (same with 15:21 cork phone cases)
- they don’t address how to properly dispose of their cases nor do they offer a send-back recycling scheme
Pela Compostable Phone Case
Pela is a Canadian company but they ship worldwide with distribution centers in Canada, the US, UK, and EU. Pela is also a certified B Corp, a member of 1% for the Planet, and Certified Climate Neutral.
What makes Pela phone cases sustainable?
Pela case are made from bio-plastic and flax straw fibre ‘waste’ grown in Saskatchewan. Their signature Flaxstic material is made from 45% plant-based materials. And the back panel of their clear case is made from 100% plant-based material.
Pela cases are 100% backyard compostable, claiming to fully break down in under 6 months. Watch this video of Emma (The Simple Environmentalist) showing how her old Pela case decomposed in four months.
What makes Pela different from other compostable phone cases?
- Pela’s case is readily compostable and fully breaks down in 3-6 months, other brands state 6-36 months (see below)
- Pela 360 – they will take your old phone case (from another brand) for FREE to recycle or upcycle it for you and if it’s an old Pela case, they’ll upcycle it into a new Pela product or compost it for you
- Pela has one of the largest selection of phone cases with different sizes, colors, and designs for both iPhone and Android phones
- Pela offers a Screen Protection Guarantee Policy on almost all of their phone cases
Cons of Pela Case:
- Some customers said the color starts to fade overtime
Nimble’s Disc Case
Nimble is known for making tech products from sustainable materials. They offer a line of phone cases made from 100% recycled compact discs. Nimble is also a certified B Corp, member of 1% for the Planet, and Certified Climate Neutral.
What makes Nimble’s phone case sustainable?
Nimble’s cases are made from 100% recycled compact discs and with every purchase, you’ll receive a free shipping label to send any used plastic case to them to be responsibly recycled.
Also, their product packaging is plastic-free and made from recycled scrap paper.
What makes Nimble case different from other sustainable phone cases?
- phone case is made from 100% recycled materials
- they offer a free shipping label with each purchase to send back your old case to be recycled by them
- Nimble offers a Recycle & Reward scheme where you can send your compact discs to them and they’ll turn them into REPLAY™ material to create new Nimble products
Cons:
- Nimble only has cases for iPhone
- Although made from 100% recycled materials, their cases are not compostable or biodegradable
A Good Company’s Mobile Cases
A Good Company has a collection of sustainable and 100% compostable mobile cases that are designed and made in Sweden. A Good Company is also a certified B Corp and they donate 4% to causes that promote sustainability and that tackle issues such as climate change.
What makes A Good Company’s mobile cases sustainable?
A Good Company claims their phone cases are “100% made from plants” and made from a by-product from organic linseed farming.
They also claim their cases are 100% compostable and to “plant it in the garden where it will biodegrade”. I asked them how long do their cases take to fully break down and they told me between six weeks to three months depending on the weather.
What makes A Good Company’s mobile cases different?
- each case design is printed by hand
- claims their case will break down completely in 6 weeks to 3 months
- a variety of colors and unique designs to choose from
- Climate-Positive – stating they use 0% petroleum plastics, reuse all water, and run their factory with a mix of solar and hydropower. Here’s a break-down of their environmental footprint.
- A Good Loop – allows you to return your old case to them and they’ll recycle it to make new ones
Cons:
- many customers said the paint & coating starts to chip and peel off within days or weeks of using the case
- some users said the case doesn’t offer full protection and that it’s not durable or long-lasting
CASETiFy – Compostable Phone Case
CASETiFy is based in Hong Kong and Los Angeles and not all of CASETiFy’s cases are compostable but they have a collection of customizable compostable phone cases. They also claim to donate a tree for every compostable and biodegradable case sold (but I guess not for their other phone cases? 🤔).
What makes CASETiFy’s Compostable phone cases sustainable?
They’re made of bamboo-based materials or ecotify™ which they claim is their proprietary blend of biopolymers, starch, and bamboo. But note they don’t disclose what percentage is plant-based materials.
CASETiFy claims they’re 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable, the website says 180 days in industrial composting. But when I asked them, they told me their compostable cases are home compostable stating “The most current version of the compostable got rid of the sandblast camera ring and successfully engineered it to be completely backyard/ home compostable.”
They also launched a recycling program, in the US and in Hong Kong, where you can send your old phone case and they’ll recycle, reuse, upcycle, or safely dispose of it through TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Initiative
What makes CASETiFy different from other sustainable phone cases?
- they offer customization where you can print your name or any text of your choice on the phone case
Cons:
- not all of their phone cases are compostable. Their main collection is made of plastic which they claim are made with 50% post-consumer recycled plastic
- mixed messaging – their website states industrial composting but they told me their home compostable
- I asked CASETiFY since their website says 180 days in industrial composting, how long does it take to fully break down via home composting and they responded back saying, “we will be checking up with our production team and looking for more in-depth details. Once we have more information to tell, we will get back to you immediately.” I’ll provide an update if they get back to me.
Urban Armor Gear – Outback Series
Urban Armor Gear offers a line of compostable phone cases called Outback Series. But not all of Urban Armor Gear’s phone cases are sustainable or compostable.
What makes Urban Armor Gear’s phone case sustainable?
Their Outback Series phone case is made from bioplastic, a blend of PLA, PBAT, and bamboo fiber composite. But they don’t state what percentage is plant-based materials. Urban Armor Gear claims the phone case is 100% compostable, taking 180 days to break down in an industrial composting facility and home composting will take 6 months to 4 years.
What makes Urban Armor Gear phone case different?
- Urban Armor Gear’s compostable phone case has a smooth finish and doesn’t have that traditional speckled look that other compostable phone cases have
Cons:
- not all of their phone cases are compostable. Their main collection is made with plastic.
- limited color and design options, their Outback Series is currently only available in black and lilac
Redhan Bio-Case
Redhan is based in the UK and the Maldives, they offer a collection of biodegradable phone cases and accessories. Rehan also plants a tree for every product sold and each phone gives back 5% or more to a social cause.
What makes Redhan’s phone case sustainable?
Redhan Bio-Cases are made from a blend of bioplastic and actual plant fibers but they do not state what percentage of plant-based materials.
They claim their phone cases are biodegradable and breaks down naturally within 6-36 months. I asked them why such a big range from 1/2 to 3 years and they told me, “the exact time of decomposition depends a lot on the environmental factors. It will be a lot quicker in an industrial compost with the proper aeration and the right temperature. It will slower in a backyard compost for example.”
I also found several other biodegradable phone case brands making similar claims that their cases are compostable and made from plant-based materials but do not disclose the exact percentage of plant-based materials. They also have a very long decomposing time span from 6 to 36 months. And they don’t state whether their phone cases are compostable via home/backyard or industrial composting.
More ‘Compostable’ Phone Cases
Love ur Planet – based in Australia, their phone case is made from wood, wheat, bamboo, and bio-plastic and claims it’s 100% compostable within 36 months. They also offer customers to send back their case and will compost it for them.
Pangea Case – based in the UK, 100% biodegradable and compostable phone case made of “plant fibers”. Claims their case will break down within 24 months in a compostable environment. In an email response, Pangea stated their producer said their cases are backyard compostable. But it doesn’t seem like they conducted their own or any independent tests to confirm these claims by their producer.
Wave – based in the UK, claims their phone case is biodegradable and made from bioplastic, derived from wheat straw. But when I asked them how long it takes for their cases to fully break down, they told me “though we haven’t conducted any independent testing yet, the cases are compostable via industrial composting facilities and break down in approximately 90 days.”
Mellow – based in Canada, their 100% biodegradable and compostable phone cases are made of “bioplastic produced from renewable biomass sources” which they state takes 6 months to 2 years to break down. Mellow does offer customers to send their case back to them and they’ll compost it for them.
Nativacase – based in Australia, compostable phone case made from natural fibers, predominately wheat straw and natural polymers. Claims their case is compostable and will start breaking down within a few months and will completely decompose in less than two years.
Wilma – based in Sweden, claims their phone case is made from 100% biodegradable materials but other than that, I couldn’t find anything to substantiate their biodegradable claims. I emailed them to ask but never received a response back. They also don’t have any reviews on their website. And purchasers on Amazon said their phone case came in a plastic bag.
While researching which phone case to get, I was surprised to learn that some brands have not conducted independent testing but continue to market and claim their cases are compostable.
I would advise if you were interested in one of the above ‘compostable’ phone case to ask the company how long does it take for their case to fully break down? and are their phone cases readily compostable via industrial or home/backyard? Also, ask them what materials are their compostable phone cases made of and what percentage are plant-based materials?
What phone case did I end up choosing?
I decided to buy a Pela compostable phone case because I love how they’re a certified B Corp, Certified Climate Neutral, and a Canadian company. I also felt like Pela was the most transparent about their materials and compostable claims. I also liked how I could send my old phone case to them for free and they’ll recycle or upcycle it.
I initially didn’t like any of Pela’s designs and wasn’t a fan of the speckled look so I did consider one from A Good Company and Urban Armor Gear. But Pela recently launched a new design that I really liked! But I’ll be sure to let you know what I think about it once it arrives.
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