Best Environmentally-friendly iPhone Accessories in 2020

Reducing your carbon footprint means consuming less and reusing more. We can try to do our part to keep our earth healthy by educating ourselves and carefully purchasing environmentally-friendly items. Here are some eco-friendly accessories for your iPhone.
Compostable case
The Pela Case is made of flax shrive, an agricultural by-product, and meets ASTM D6400 standards for compostability. It comes packaged in recycled paper, no plastic, and minimal waste. One percent of Pela's profits go to environmental non-profit organizations.
Solar speaker
This wireless Bluetooth speaker is made with sustainable bamboo and uses monocrystalline solar panels to power up with the sun. If you live in a very sunny climate, you might never need to plug it in. If you don't, just charge it up with a USB cable and get up to 15 hours of battery life. The speaker also charges your iPhone.
Skater boi
This very cool iPhone case is made from recycled skateboards. Etsy seller Skate4Create collects discarded skateboards that have cracked while in use and makes iPhone cases (among other things) with the reclaimed wood. Choose any size case from the iPhone 5 to the current models.
Solar charger
GoerTek's solar charger harnesses the power of the sun. Charge your iPhone over half a dozen times. It has three ports so that you can charge up to three devices at once. It also comes with a USB cable, so you can charge it normally when the sun isn't available.
Budget pick
Abitku's Eco-Friendly iPhone Case is made from biodegradable wheat-based bio-plastic. Since it's made from wheat straw, it has a matte texture and even a slight natural fragrance. Choose from three colors: Gray, Pink, and Light Green.
Pop that cork
Swedish company 15:21 handcrafts products from recycled cork caps and ships them worldwide (free). This is a minimalist case, so it's not a lot of protection, but it does add a unique Scandinavian look to your iPhone without a lot of bulk. Choose any model from the iPhone 6 to the current lineup.
Charge upright or flat
Nimble's products are made from recycled water bottles and organic hemp and come in plastic-free packaging. You can charge your iPhone (8 or newer) wirelessly; this charger converts from a flat charging pad to an upright stand. It has an extra port so you can charge another device as well.
Heavy-duty case
Mous cases are known for their gorgeous style and heavy-duty protection (using AiroShock™ technology) in a relatively slim design. This one is made with real bamboo, which is a fast-growing, renewable, and environmentally-friendly grass. Yes, bamboo is technically a grass, not a wood, though we use it like wood.
Compost
This eco-friendly case is made from a proprietary blend of 100% composted plant and bio-based materials and is totally compostable. It meets ASTM D6400 or EN13432 standards and will take between six months and three years to break down in a compost (depending on the quality of the compost setting.)
Charge to go
Nimble's fast charger is made from plants. Its internals are hard, plant-based plastics from materials like corn and sugarcane. It charges your devices for up to eight days and takes just 30 minutes to give you an 80% charge up. Charge up to three devices at a time.
Net worth
Ocean75 collects discarded fishing nets, which make up nearly half of the ocean's plastic waste issue. Each iPhone case is 93% recycled ocean plastic. The wave design brings to mind ocean waves, and the case is available in a handful of nature-inspired colors. Part of the profit goes to ocean conservation charities.
Folio style
GEAR4, a ZAGG brand, makes this folio-style iPhone case from recycled plastic. The slim, lightweight wallet case has two credit card slots and folds into a stand for watching videos. Don't let the slim form factor fool you: this is a heavy-duty case with 13-foot drop protection.
Excellent protection
This case is made up of over 85% ocean-based recycled plastic such as salvaged fishing gear. It has a sculpted wave pattern and a DropProof rating to 2 meters. With every purchase, LifeProof donates one dollar to one of their water-conscious nonprofit partners.
Our top picks
You can always trust iMore. Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful. Find out more about how we test.
Of course, the best thing you can do for the environment is to reduce waste by minimizing what you buy. Research your purchases carefully before purchasing, especially when it comes to tech. When you do buy, look for companies that manufacture responsibly. When you can no longer use something, re-home it, recycle it, or compost it if possible. Every little bit you can do helps!
I like the Pela iPhone case. It comes in a variety of fun colors and patterns and is manufactured from an agricultural by-product called flax shrive. When it's outlived its usefulness, you can pop the whole case into your backyard compost (or your local community compost.)
REVEAL's Portable Bluetooth Bamboo Speaker & Phone Charger has an undeniable cool factor. It's a solar-powered speaker that can also charge your iPhone, harnessing the sun's power. If you're lucky enough to live someplace that gets a good deal of sun, you might not ever have to plug it in. Those of us who live in cloudier, grayer climates like I do will need to use the USB cable to power it up. Either way, a full charge gets you 15 hours of playtime. Plus, it's made with bamboo, which is a sustainable and fast-growing grass.
More navigation links:
iMore
- Introduction to our Earth Day guide
- All the resources that go into your favorite gadgets
- Are tech companies leading the charge for eco friendliness?
- What is carbon neutrality?
- Best eco-friendly iPhone accessories
- Tips to easily and affordably be more eco friendly
- 7 simple ways to shrink your eco footprint
- Best smart home accessories to reduce eco impact
- About those companies you thought were eco friendly ...
Android Central
- Our guide to making better tech decisions in the era of climate change
- The single most eco-friendly thing you can on Earth Day is ...
- Is wireless, wired charging, or 'Fast Charging' more efficient?
- This fantastic smart plug is an Earth Day essential
- Fairphone 3 review: The most repairable phone ever
- An interview with Fairphone about making a sustainable gadget
- Best 'green' tech products and accessories
- Best eco-friendly phone accessories
- How to recycle your old phone
- What happens to a phone when you sell to a recycling company?
- How to charge a phone using solar
Windows Central
- Introduction to our Earth Day guide
- Best eco-friendly PC accessories
- Is your RGB PC an eco nightmare?
- Make your game console eco-friendly by disabling standby
- Rechargeable batteries vs. throwaway batteries
- Make your power-hungry gaming PC more eco
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Karen is a contributor to iMore.com as a writer and co-host of the iMore Show. She’s been writing about Apple since 2010 with a year-long break to work at an Apple Store as a product specialist. She's also a contributor at CNET. Before joining iMore in 2018, Karen wrote for Macworld, AppAdvice, WatchAware. She’s an early adopter who used to wait in long lines on release days before pre-ordering made things much easier. Karen is also a part-time teacher and occasional movie extra. She loves to spend time with her family, travel the world, and is always looking for portable tech and accessories so she can work from anywhere.