My Favorite Zero Waste Phone Accessories

Have you considered zero waste phone accessories? Check out these zero waste smartphone cases and screen protectors for a more eco-friendly smartphone.

Have you heard of compostable phone cases? If you’ve spent a bit of time around the blog, you know I’m a self-proclaimed composting nerd. So compostable phone cases are my jam.

A couple of years ago, I bought a compostable Pela smartphone case for my husband. At the time, I had an older model of my phone for which the company no longer made compostable cases or I would have jumped on the compostable phone case bandwagon as well.

I held on to that old phone for another 18 months and kept it in the original case. There’s nothing more eco-friendly than using the things we already have.

A couple months ago, however, the time came for me to buy a new phone. I upgraded to the latest model and, of course, needed to purchase a new case, because each of the phones is slightly different in size and function.

I’ll be honest though, I wasn’t too upset about having an opportunity to order my compostable phone case to accessorize and protect my new smartphone. Smartphones are so darn expensive, I better take great care of it.

I ordered a compostable phone case from Pela, the profits from which also help support programs to protect turtles in the ocean. At the time, Pela offered a sale to buy one compostable phone case and get the second one free. I purchased my new phone and phone case at the height of the pandemic, so they offered the deal as a benefit to regular swap phone cases and clean the one not being used.

After having a screen cover on my old phone that was scratched and mangled but covering a practically perfect phone screen, I knew I needed a screen protector as well. I happily discovered that Pela also sells zero waste screen protectors. Did you even know zero-waste smartphone screen protectors existed? I surely did not.

Electronics and e-waste comprise an increasingly greater percentage of items and toxic waste filling our landfills. Phones, laptops, and other electronics seem to need replacing often as technology transforms ever more rapidly.

As electronic waste becomes more prevalent in our waste streams, we need to be mindful of choosing eco-friendly alternatives where possible. Thus, items like zero-waste screen protectors and compostable smartphone covers are just a couple of ways we can be more responsible about caring for the electronics so married to our daily lives.

I won’t be giving up my smartphone any time soon. I suspect you’re in the same boat. But, we can reduce the impact of this tool by being mindful about the types and quantities of accessories that we buy for it.

Have you tried the Pela compostable phone case or zero waste screen protector? How was your experience?