A Guide to Eco Friendly Compostable Cases for Phone Cover Brands

One of the major themes for both technology and fashion when it comes to design is the concept of sustainability.

What does that mean, exactly? Designers and technology specialists are increasingly working together to find ways of building products that are in harmony with the natural environment.

This could mean those that use a minimum of new resources during production to those that are easily recycled as part of the Earth’s natural renewal process. The latter, also known as the eco-friendly movement, looks for methods that recycle resources as well as reappropriates them into new materials that can replace environmentally unfriendly or unsustainably produced component parts. When it comes to pieces of technology out there, perhaps nothing is more fraught with pitfalls when it comes to sustainability and conservation than manufacturing and owning smartphones.

These essential pieces of our everyday lives are not the most environmentally-friendly objects out there. And when you protect your investment with a case, you are helping to extend the life of the product, but did you know that you are also contributing to its environmental impact? Don’t worry – there’s a way to overcome this, and you could be on the frontlines of the solution.

Because there are more environmentally-conscious consumers out there than ever before, you should think about making wholesale compostable phone cases to sell. Not only will help you fill the ever-growing need for smartphone cases but also your bulk custom compostable phone cases can help you reap the benefits of the emerging (and rapidly growing) green economy. Read on to find out how.

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Why You Should Launch Compostable Case Collection

If you are running a phone case business or a fashion brand with tech accessories line, you might wonder why you should start making bulk custom compostable phone cases. Beyond being a growth opportunity in an emerging green niche, wholesale compostable phone cases also address the market demand for smartphone cases as well as some level of customization and/or unique application.

Composed of materials such as PLA, PBAT, and TBAC, compostable phone cases can offer a wide variety of unique styles and textures that appeal to fashionistas, the eco-conscious consumer, and the intersection between the two.

Aside from simple market metrics, there is also the growing ease of custom phone case manufacturing and logistics. Even marketing and finding your customer is easier now than ever before with a myriad of Internet-based tools and methods at your disposal. No matter you are an fashion accessories brand, or specific tech gadget / phone case business owner, wholesale and customize compostable phone cases and launch that as your eco collection will be a great strategic choice.

What is a Biodegradable and Compostable Phone Case?

At this point, you probably have some idea of what it means to be a biodegradable or compostable phone case, but we’re going to explain the process somewhat further. It is true that they are more environmentally friendly and sustainable on the whole because of the material used in their manufacture. Let us explain: The problem with many consumer electronics and accessories for them is that, when the buyer is done with the item, they tend to end up in a landfill. Now, while most things do degrade in some way over time, it is not only how they degrade but what they turn into that becomes an environmental issue.

For most traditional plastics, this kind of natural process of erosion can take 450 to 500 years. This is mainly due to plastic’s composition as a material. Because it is manmade there isn’t an effective environmental mechanism for breaking it down – yet. There is some promise in the development of bacteria that can eat plastics but, as of now, traditional plastics are one of the biggest environmental problems faced by industrialized nations.

Ideally, items such as smartphones and traditional plastics would be recycled responsibly but this doesn’t happen as often as environmentalists would like thus the call to action for component parts and accessories to use sustainable materials. Biodegradable and compostable phone cases are part of the solution to the problem of how to get materials that offer the same kind of performance and benefits as traditional plastics without the bad environmental effects. As you can imagine, their benefit is in how they are recycled as part of the Earth’s natural process.

Difference Between Biodegradable and Compostable Materials

While the benefits of biodegradable and compostable materials are somewhat similar, they function quite differently in practice. The easiest way to explain this is to look at what each term means and what the implications are for materials made out of substances with that designation. In the first instance, biodegradable refers to those materials that can be broken down through natural processes such as oxidation and exposure to sunlight, among others. For example, when a living thing dies, there are numerous processes that help break down the body into elements that can be recycled back into the Earth’s broader system.

Compostable materials, on the other hand, are made out of materials that can be broken down with minimal impact to the environment but may require some sort of specialized process to help them do that. Typically, compostable materials are recycled at so-called compost sites. Processes at these sites include soaking compostable materials in water to a combination of water and exposure to sunlight or even certain kinds of bacteria.

For compostable phone cases we talk about here, the cases are usually made of compostable materials like PLA, PBAT etc. which are bio-based plastics mostly made from carbohydrate-rich plants such as corn, sugar cane, cereal and so on.

How Long It Takes for compostable phone cases to Decompose?

The length of time for compostable phone covers to decompose depends on many factors such as what it is made out of and the composting environment.

As the major materials of compostable cases is PLA, PBAT, we should be looking at the composting time for these materials.

According to the article on HowStuffWorks written by William Harris, quote below:

“PLA decomposes into water and carbon dioxide in 47 to 90 days — four times faster than a PET-based bag floating in the ocean. But conditions have to be just right to achieve these kinds of results. PLA breaks down most efficiently in commercial composting facilities at high temperatures. When buried in a landfill, a plastic bag made from corn may remain intact just as long as a plastic bag made from oil or natural gas.”

The full article can be read here: How long does it take for plastics to biodegrade?

And it is similar for PBAT.

The best way to do here is to leave the compostable phone cases after use to composting facilities in your neighborhood to fasten the breaking down process.

Types of Compostable Phone Cases & What Can Be Customized?

In terms of what types of phone cases you can make out of compostable material, there is no real limit aside from the designer’s imagination. You can customize the shape, structure of the case, colors, as well as the pattern on the case.

One thing to note about compostable phone cases is that the material is special; it is softer than the usual plastics while harder than TPU (both are the most common materials for phone covers). So compared to tpu cases, the button of the case would be a bit harder to press for the same structure of the case. This is considered the consumers’ little sacrifice for a more sustainable lifestyle. However with a relatively thinner edge of the case, it will not affect users’ experience.

Most compostable phone cases come with special texture of patina which is normally wood, bamboo or straw fiber to differentiate from the usual plastic cases. But you can choose designs of pure color scheme as well (without the fiber).

To make your brand stand out more from the market, customization is the way to go. Besides adding your private logo, you can can also customize unique colors of the case, printing or engraving special designs that match with your brand’s style, product line consistency.

Below are a few best selling types of compostable phone covers on the market and can also be chosen for customization for a small minimum quantity.

Standard Compostable Phone Case