Why buy a phone case?
As fans of the zero waste lifestyle, we agree that the best waste is the one we don't produce.
So, it is legitimate to wonder if it is worth buying a protective case for your cell phone , knowing full well that it will end up in the trash in a few months following normal wear, an accident or a change of mobile device.
Concerning the shell itself, it is obvious that its purchase will necessarily have a greater environmental impact than not purchasing it.
However, we still recommend that you buy one. For what ?
Simply because, as polluting as phone cases, phones themselves must be kept as long as possible to reduce their catastrophic ecological footprint.
Their carbon footprint, particularly linked to transport, is disastrous, the materials used for their manufacture are extremely harmful for the planet and their inhabitants and the fortunes spent on marketing by players in the sector push consumers to always buy the latest arrival in the range, regardless of the status of their current phone.
So, if your cell phone is not protected by a case, it will be much more sensitive to shocks and will have a shorter lifespan.
Ultimately, saving some waste linked to the purchase of a case will have the consequence of drastically increasing more and more harmful waste linked to the premature destruction of the phone.
Purchasing a case is therefore widely recommended.
But not just any shell!
Shells made from materials derived from plastic or petrochemical polymers (polycarbonate, silicone, etc.) are not recommended.
It will be advisable to favor nobler and more natural materials (wood, corn fibers, wheat, cork, etc.).
Many eco-friendly phone case alternatives exist. You might as well prefer them to plastic, right?
What is an eco-friendly phone case?
An eco-responsible phone case must meet several criteria:
- Do not use plastic.
- Do not use dyes or inks that are harmful to the environment.
- Be durable and resistant, protect against shocks.
- Have a low environmental impact.
1. Do not use plastic:
91% of plastic produced worldwide is not recycled. It therefore ends its life in the form of microparticles, often present in our oceans, which animals and humans ingest through their food.
The reason to eliminate plastic is therefore obvious.
Eco-friendly cases always use materials that have minimal impact on the environment.
These materials come from nature, such as bamboo, wheat straw, cork and sustainably harvested wood.
These cases can also be made from biodegradable plastic or even recycled plastic. The latest trends also involve creating phone cases from recycled objects like skateboards!
2. Do not use dyes, inks that are harmful to the environment.
Most phone cases tend to use toxic substances in glues and adhesives. The interior coatings of these hulls may also be made of toxic materials.
Dyes, inks and other additives present in many industrial products are responsible for the destruction of many corals, the death of other living beings, diseases, etc.
It is therefore better to avoid them.
Eco-friendly phone cases ensure that only non-toxic materials are used for every stage of construction and every feature of the case.
3. Be durable and resistant, protect from shocks.
A phone case, made of materials no matter how natural, must be effective and protect your phone.
Thus, the thickness of the shell, its solidity, its comfort, are all parameters to take into account before a purchase.
4. Have a low environmental impact.
Finally, if the shell is produced only from biodegradable materials in an extremely polluting factory and transported on planes from one end of the world to the other, its interest will be less.
Oceansrespect biodegradable iPhone cases
Oceansrespect eco-responsible iPhone cases were designed by and for ocean lovers.
They are guaranteed plastic-free, 100% biodegradable and compostable. But anyway, what difference?
A biodegradable phone case
A product is biodegradable when it breaks down quickly in nature, without leaving harmful residue.
A product is biodegradable when it “ can, under the action of living organisms, decompose into various elements that have no harmful effect on the natural environment ”.
According to the EN 13432 standard, established in 2002, a material is biodegradable when 90% of its dry mass has degraded in less than 6 months.
A compostable phone case
French law speaks of composting to designate the “biological treatment of organic waste by aerobic fermentation to obtain compost”.
A compostable product is necessarily biodegradable, but the converse is not true.
Often, this term is used when the product requires the use of an industrial composter.
The EN 13432 standard specifies that, for a product to be compostable, 90% of its initial dry mass must have biodegraded in less than 3 months (under the conditions of an industrial composter).
Our shells decompose completely in approximately 1 year in a warm, humid and microorganism-friendly environment.
What is the composition of Oceansrespect biodegradable shells?
To manufacture our biodegradable iPhone cases, we use earth, sawdust (FSC label, guaranteeing the sustainable management of forests while respecting the environment and populations), whole vegetables and cereals. not used for consumption due to their poor aesthetic and taste qualities.
- Composition: earth (30%), onions (7.5%), carrots (7.5%), pepper (7.5%), sawdust (1.5%), rice (18%), soy ( 18%), wheat (10%)
Vegan iPhone cases?
Our iPhone protective cases are vegan and packaged in packaging that is also eco-responsible and biodegradable (Packed in a biodegradable and protective CPE 07 bag and shipped in a cardboard box).
Natural or synthetic inks?
Printing is done using a digital UV printer with specially formulated vegetable inks and dried instantly using UV lamps. These water-based inks are also certified by the Oeko-Tex Eco-passport.
UV lamps are more durable and cost-effective, low-temperature LEDs that require no warm-up time to dry the ink, saving time and energy.
How durable are these eco-responsible cases?
Our shells have a thickness greater than 1.8 mm which allows a fair compromise in comfort and resistance.
The materials used allow optimal grip as well as increased shock protection.
The durability of an Oceansrespect biodegradable phone case is between 1 and 2 years.
Where are Oceansrespect eco-friendly iPhone cases made?
For the moment, Oceansrespect hulls are manufactured responsibly in China because French or European production would be impossible for us given the scale of the investment necessary.
RESPONSIBLE MANUFACTURING
At Oceansrespect, we work closely with our suppliers to source only the best raw materials, grown or produced in a way that does not harm people, animals and the environment.
We work with the Forrest Stewardship Council (FSC) and support our partners' Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy to ensure the sustainable cultivation of natural bamboo forests and the safety of our workers.
We guarantee decent working conditions through the implementation of certain mechanisms such as an internal Code of Conduct, monthly reports and regular visits to our partner factories.
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS LIMITED TO THE STRICT MINIMUM
Although we strongly favor local production and the cleanest production possible, some of the products or the materials used to manufacture them nevertheless come from Asia. Their transport to France therefore seems anything but ecological.
However, we use different processes to significantly reduce the impact of these imports on the environment and have a minimal carbon footprint.
Indeed, we practice sharing containers in order to use their smallest spaces. They would have remained unused without the addition of our products whose small volume allows them to be integrated into very small spaces.
We use rail transport and not air freight which is much more polluting. Rail transport takes longer but its environmental footprint is extremely small.
Our products are shipped in recycled paper envelopes or in completely plastic-free upcycled boxes. Our deliveries are carbon neutral thanks to our partner, La Poste, which is committed to the neutrality of its carbon footprint for the delivery of mail and parcels.
A REDUCTION OF WASTE
All our products are sold either in bulk or packaged in 100% recycled cardboard. Printing with water-based ink certified by the OEKO-TEX ECO-PASSEPORT guarantees its perfect biodegradability. It can be thrown away with your other organic waste.
We do not use any plastic at any time in our production chain and for the delivery of our products.
Regarding wastewater, all our partner factories are equipped with effluent treatment plants which eliminate toxic substances present in the water and thus allow its reuse.
How are our phone cases shipped?
All our products are imported by rail in shared containers for a minimal carbon footprint.
In fact, we limit our carbon emissions to the strict minimum and do not use any plastic at any time in the production chain or for delivery.
OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT IS NEGATIVE!
Acting for the climate means first identifying and then reducing the greenhouse gases that we emit on a daily basis and on which we can act at the source.
At the same time, carbon offsetting makes it possible to act on the share of incompressible greenhouse gas emissions that we cannot or do not yet know how to reduce satisfactorily, by supporting environmental and social projects.
The carbon footprint of our company is eco-compensated, in particular thanks to the implementation of concrete actions on the ground, carried out by us or our partners, such as cleaning coastlines, planting trees or financing various eco-responsible initiatives around the world.
PROUD TO BE COMMITTED TO THE PLANET!
In order to protect our oceans, we are committed to donating 4% of our turnover to non-profit organizations committed to protecting the environment.
You can consult the list of partner initiatives here:
- Surfrider Foundation Europe
- Sulubaaï Foundation
- No Plastic in my Sea
- Plastic Soup Foundation
- Tara Ocean Foundation
- Coralive
- Cetasea
- Bioniria
- WeForest
- GreenPeace
- WWF
Conclusion
Our biodegradable iPhone cases therefore offer a perfect compromise between efficiency and respect for the environment.
The only problem, only iPhone cases are currently available because developing a mold is extremely expensive.
Would you like to test them? Meet here