This post is written in partnership with Pela Case. We’re honored to work with Pela on the launch of our Planet Over Plastic month—they remind us that we can all make small changes to keep our planet and ourselves healthier and happier…always pushing to believe in better, to be better, and to do better. ~ ed.

Saying you want to be eco-friendly is one thing; doing it is another.

And Lord knows it can be super overwhelming to get from the wannabe position to the actual doer of all the things:

Is recycling even real anymore? Like, what happens if you accidentally place trash in the recycle bin? Is it better to reach for biodegradable or compostable items (if you must reach for single-use items, that is)? Is it even possible to eliminate food waste while living, say, in a limited-space fourth-floor apartment?

See? Overwhelming.

But, you know what, friends? As a global collective, we generate 2.01 billion tons of waste per year, with at least 33% of that—extremely conservatively—not managed in an environmentally safe manner. (1)

So, despite the overwhelm, as the eco-warriors at Pela Case would say:

“You care about the planet. Now it’s time to show it.”

The founder of this small giant with a big heart, Jeremy, started Pela Case when his son Cole dug up some plastic on the beach in Hawai’i, and he started wondering about the impact of plastics on our planet.

Now, they make pretty damn beautiful compostable phone cases, which have already prevented the equivalent of 48,433,866 plastic bags from entering our oceans. Now, that’s someone who’s walking their freakin’ talk.

Get your Pela Case for 20% OFF—right here (code EJ20) >>

And when we say “compostable,” we mean that Pela Case will return gracefully to the earth when you’re done with it. All you have to do is throw it into a backyard compost…or a Lomi. (What’s that, you ask? We’ll talk about it in a sec!)

That means that unlike a lot of the stuff that we see labeled as compostable (which often requires processing in a commercial facility—of which there are few), a Pela Case is the real deal.

And considering that, currently, 7.26 billion people own a smart and feature phone (that’s 91.54% of the world’s population)(2). Let’s pretend that each of us has a plastic phone case. That’s a monstrous amount of plastic being trashed or ending up in our oceans—and a devastating fate for our planet.

Now, let’s imagine we all replaced our traditional plastic phone cases with a compostable Pela case. Now, that’s a pretty big impact we could make as a collective.

Going green is all about the little steps we take. And when it comes to taking those steps for the future of our planet and all its natural wonders, Pela knows and wants to make sure that if we want to be the change, it doesn’t have to be complicated.

They’re a glowing reminder that we can still have the luxuries of our everyday products without the everyday waste.

Choose Pela: the phone case you can feel good about—and even show off a little >>

And just like your phone contains the images, stories, and memories of you—your life—that’s what Pela’s durable, gorgeous, and eye-catching cases try to reflect: your inner essence.

Beyond Pela Case’s core mission of a waste-free future and preventing one billion pounds of waste from ever being made, each collection of their cases has a story and mission of its own, which is probably why they found their way to the top of AppleInsider’s “Favorite Cases for the Iphone13” list.

 

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The above is the PerlyBlooms Collection—designed by @perlyblooms, inspired by daily meditation, and born out of emotion. ⁠

⁠For Perla, sharing pieces that reflect her innermost thoughts and feelings is a way of communicating to others who may feel the same that they are not alone. ⁠

Speaking of not being alone..we’ve all faced the composting conundrum. And now Pela is solving that, too.

Introducing that Lomi thing we were talking about:

I live in a fourth-story apartment in a building that isn’t particularly eco. Pest control is managed pretty hardcore here, and I can presume that would mean that if I started a composting pile in one of the shared courtyards or even a bucket on my balcony, that would be pretty frowned down upon.

If you’re in a similar situation (or even just renting a home with a yard) and have wanted to get cozy with composting but are always low on time (who isn’t?) and yada yada yada, you’re probs going to be just as excited as I was to learn about the Lomi.

The Lomi is Pela’s highly-coveted and sought-after kitchen appliance turned countertop composter. And it’s a pretty darn badass, sleek little machine.

Get your hands on a Lomi right over here >>

“What’s the hype all about?”

Well, first off: you can put all of your food scraps and coffee grounds into it and watch the volume of your waste decrease by 90%.

Secondly, remember how we mentioned Pela is a compostable case? Well, the Lomi can break that down for you—in as little as 4 hours. Folks, it’s the ultimate duo if you ask me. 

Here’s the deal: when we’re told that “In 2018, 2.6 million tons of food was composted,”(3) we might feel the urge to pat ourselves on the back. But the harsh reality is that it only equates to 4.1% of wasted food. And that’s a problem because when food waste ends up in landfills, it generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas that exacerbates the climate change crisis. (4)

Devices like Lomi give us the opportunity to skew these very real and very scary numbers in a positive way for the planet—and still keep our brunch plans (which, of course, will not include straws, right?!) by turning our usually smelly, leaky food scraps into nutrient-rich dirt (did you hear that plant moms and dads?).

Positively impact the planet—without any effort—thanks to Lomi. Reserve yours here >>

Did we mention it does this on your countertop? And in hours? Oh, we did. Sorry, we’re just that freaking impressed.

Anyhoo here’s How Lomi works:

Using heat, abrasion, and oxygen, the Lomi works similar to how earthworms break down and mix plant tissue into soil (except Lomi does this without the smell and mess)—in about four hours. (When I told my husband this fact, his jaw nearly dropped into his cereal bowl.)

It’s also about the size of a breadmaker, so it won’t be taking over your counter space (aka precious real estate).

Kinda nerdy fun fact:

“A typical fork labeled ‘biodegradable’ won’t break down quickly in a backyard composter. At an industrial composting facility, it might still take weeks. But [Lomi] can break down the fork in hours, along with food waste that might have otherwise gone in the trash.”(5)

I was never much of a science nerd, but that is forkin’ amazing and something I would like to see.

So, no matter where we fall on the “eco IQ” scale, these are easy, sustainable changes we can and should make—like yesterday.

Check out our Pela-Sponsored 2022 Planet over Plastics Challenge >>

~

1. WorldBank

2. BankmyCell

3. Environmental Protection Agency

4. USDA

5. Fast Company