The Pela clear case, right, is just as compostable as the others.
This week, you’re finally going to be able to place an order for a new iPhone 12. But what if you want to make sure it’s protected? Sure, that front glass may be 4x stronger, and the sides may protect the front of the display better, but serious accidents still do happen. I shattered my iPhone 5 screen many years ago because a wasp landed on my arm and my freakout resulted in my iPhone flying through the air and landing on a stone patio. No amount of ceramic shielding could have prevented that disaster.
Big accidents happen.
So, to protect your device, don’t pick out just any case. Apple went through some efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of their iPhones this year. The least you could do is try the same. That means using cases made from recycled or compostable materials.
Like the cases I’ll suggest here!
Recycled Materials
Nimble’s old Bottle Case
One of the best methods for helping the environment is to re-use items that are already in it. By doing so, we’re picking through the landfills and our oceans (which we’ve been using like landfills) to create something new. We’re reducing waste and giving new life to something. Best of all, if you can find a way to re-use that item after you’re done with it, you’ll have removed something from humanity’s waste pile for quite a few more years.
Two great options come to mind. The first is from Nimble. Nimble, if you remember, made a case out of recycled plastic bottles a while back. It was highly recyclable and reduced waste, but it wasn’t quite durable or protective enough for my tastes. Still, it was my favorite iPhone XS case, as it was protective and eco-friendly.
Now Nimble’s back with a case made from recycled CD cases. It’s much tougher, with a more traditional feel. I actually have a few of these, and will be reviewing them once I can get my hands on an iPhone 12. First impressions are very good though. It seems like a durable, protective case, and one that will improve grip on your iPhone. Best of all, when you’re done, Nimble has a free recycling program, so your old case won’t just go back into a landfill when you’re done with it. If you can’t wait for my review, you can grab one for 10% off now with this link.
The other is the Wāke case from LifeProof. These cases are made from “over 85%” ocean-based recycled plastics. LifeProof will donate a dollar for every purchase, and will also recycle your case once you’re done with it.
Compostable Cases
Compostable cases are another fantastic option. These are made from biodegradable and compostable materials that break down in an industrial composting facility. They may also break down in a composting pile in your back yard, or even just buried, though no company recommends that.
I tested a few of these, two from Pela and one from Casetify. My favorite of the three was the Casetify, but they were all deeply flawed. The most important thing for the environment is to protect the rare and difficult to recycle materials that go into the components of your device. The Pela classic case can’t even stay on the device. The Pela transparent case made the device much larger and harder to grip, without much screen protection. The Casetify case took damage easily. Still, if these protect your device enough, they have the potential for being the best cases for the environment. Unfortunately, there’s a bit of risk involved there.
Photo: Pela
The iPhone 12 cases, due to the design of the iPhone 12, should be more protective. It’s easier to have the case come over the edge of the screen more now. Still, we’ll have to see if Pela’s falling back into their same mistakes from the iPhone 11.
I actually stopped using all of my compostable cases, and I’m now using the best case I had for my iPhone 11, my Spigen case. Unfortunately, it’s plastic and non-recyclable. Hopefully I’ll find better eco-friendly cases for the iPhone 12.
Other compostable options (which I haven’t had the chance to test yet) include the Urban Armor Gear Outback Bio series, which is a compostable case much like the Casetify case, though with more shape to aid in grip. Incipio’s “Organicore” cases are also popular, however there are very limited color options. I’ll be looking at these this iPhone cycle as well.
Natural Materials
Finally, you can go with natural materials. Carved will make you a case out of wood, though their use of resin means the case won’t break down. Still, their wooden Live Edge cases (not their other wood cases, which feature a large amount of plastic) are mostly wood burls. This takes wood that would otherwise be waste and gives it new life as a gorgeous phone case.
Another option is cork. Cork is renewable, breaks down naturally, and can protect your device. One example is the 15:21 case. However, it’s not yet available for the iPhone 12. That’s probably okay, as you also don’t have the iPhone 12 yet.
Go Green
A few years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to give you many green options. You can check out my older reviews, many of them just don’t feature renewable or recycled cases. I wish I had gotten cases that were better for the environment. I go through so many, it just feels wasteful. So, for the iPhone 12, I will be trying to make sure that at least half of the cases I test will be eco-friendly. I’d go for 100%, but I did actually buy a silicone iPhone 12 case a while back to try to get a feel for the iPhone 12 mini’s size, before we even knew what it would be called. Still, I’m going to make an effort to go green, and I hope a few of these suggestions can help you do so as well.