Ever wonder how Pela got started? A compostable phone case sounds kind a like a silly idea, right?
Why would you want something that's meant to protect a $1,000 investment to fall apart?
Thing is there's currently more cellphones on the earth than humans. It's something that we're constantly upgrading and with that comes tons of plastic phone cases that are never going away.
In fact 1 billion plastic phone cases are sold every single year, and the issues with plastic are growing each and every day.
There's 8 million tons of plastic dumped into the ocean every year. After hearing all of those facts, the question becomes, "Why wouldn't you want your phone case to go away?"
With the technology we have now, the phone case isn't going to biodegrade in your pocket. It's only going to break down in a composting environment like your backyard or an industrial setting surrounded by dirt, bugs, and other organic materials.
So, how did we get here? How did we come to have an awesome, super protective phone case that doesn't stick around on the planet for 1,000s of years?
It all started a long, long time ago when our co-founder Jeremy and inventor of Flaxstic was a boy living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan which grows the most oil seed flax in the world. Flax straw is known for its strength and shock absorbency, but it’s usually burned as a “waste” byproduct.
He asked his dad why they were burning it, and whether or not something useful could be done with it.
And, in true tear-jerker fashion his dad said, "Maybe you can find a use for it."
Fast forward many years later. Jeremy and his family were on a beach vacation in Hawaii and they noticed how much plastic was everywhere.
As his son dug through the sand, more and more plastic surfaced. He wondered how he could help solve this plastic problem.
When he went home to Canada he thought about all of that super shock absorbent flax being burned and wondered if he could make a plastic substitute with it.
So, he did! It's called Flaxstic.
Being known for strength and shock absorbency, it makes phone cases a pretty logical choice for the material.
Pela was founded as a way to get sustainable plastic alternatives into conversation, starting with a product you use and hold every day and carry with you morning to night.
It's unique speckled pattern is often a great conversation starter. It's a way to seamlessly and easily spread the word about a plastic free world.
