My iPhone Case is Made Out of Plants!

Granted, Apple's iPhones boast some sustainable attributes: PVC-free handsets, headphones and USB cables, bromine-free printed circuit board, mercury-free LCD display, arsenic-free display glass, mostly recycled packaging, and a power adapter which outperforms the strictest global energy efficiency standards, you'd be hard pressed to find a die-hard environmentalist toting an iPhone around on their planet-saving endeavors. Calling Jane Goodall? (Alas! Even the famous conservationist sells a chimpanzee laden iPhone cover on her site!)

So, given our technologically inclined culture and need to stay connected via various electronic devices, it would be nearly impossible to go without. You can help assuage your gadget wielding guilt by outfitting your iPhone with an innovative new cover from bioserie that is made from plants!

Bioserie's iPhone cover is made from a blend of biodegradable, bioplastic materials which are derived entirely from plants that are annually renewable and sustainably harvested. A minimum of 90 percent Ingeo biopolymer - which is made in the U.S. - comprises these covers, allowing you to disconnect your association with cases made from petrochemicals. Ingeo has the lowest carbon footprint of any commercially available plastic, releasing far less greenhouse gases into the atmosphere with its production (in comparison to oil based plastic), and it is industrially compostable.

Let's talk design aesthetic details. Bioserie covers are available in the following hues: white, green, orange, red, lavender and black. They feature a textured surface which provides an ergonomic grip, and the cover is sturdy and supportive, to protect against scratches and impact. I use a Bioserie cover on my iPhone, in green of course, and my favorite feature is the four tiny ridges that discreetly jut out from the front of the cover to protect the screen from damage when it's in a face down position. I also like that it is lightweight (weighing only 14 grams) so it doesn't add bulkiness to my iPhone, and that it leaves all of the controls easily accessible.

Bioserie will be expanding their collection by launching iPhone 4 and iPad accessories in mid-August.

Bioserie iPhone 3G/3GS covers cost $34.95, and Bioserie also makes covers for the iPod Touch and the iPod Nano.

*I originally authored this post for EcoSalon.