CES 2024: OtterBox Launches New Cases Made From Sustainable Cactus Leather

[lordLW]

I don’t understand the use of sustainable in the title. Leather is an organic product made from animals that reproduce organically. How is sustainable here used t differentiate from normal animal leather which is …sustainable and been with humans for millennia and will be with humans for millennia. I think it makes sense to say fusion is sustainable vs coal (which might run out in 1000 years) but between two natural products I don’t get it.

Its not just the leather itself, but the way you grow and tan the leather. Feeding a cow takes alot of grass, and in turn alot of land, fertiliser, water, sometimes pesticides (rarely), etc. As for tanning, cheaper and more common chrome tans are incredibly water inefficient and release pollutants into the air and toxic chemicals into local waterways.

Cactuses being a succulent take less water, less cultivated land for growing space, and have basically the same if not more benefits than animal hyde leather (breathability, patina, degradation after use, strength, etc).

Just because killing animals for skin is "natural", it doesn't mean it is sustainable.

 

[contacos]

Yup, same as calling anything but animal milk, cow, sheep or goat milk milk. Soy, Cashew, Oat, you name it, it ain't milk anymore than this is leather.

It’s actually forbidden to call it milk, at least in the EU and the tax is also higher when you order a coffee with „non-milk“

 

[szw-mapple fan]

I don’t understand the use of sustainable in the title. Leather is an organic product made from animals that reproduce organically. How is sustainable here used t differentiate from normal animal leather which is …sustainable and been with humans for millennia and will be with humans for millennia. I think it makes sense to say fusion is sustainable vs coal (which might run out in 1000 years) but between two natural products I don’t get it.

You should look into the different tanning processes that make leather. For millennia we used a process called vegetable tanning which produced relatively biodegradable leather using tree bark extracts. Most (90% or so) leather we use today is made using chrome tanning, which produces non-biodegradable and non-recyclable leather with a chromium agent. The result is a significantly cheaper and more waterproof leather. It also produces a huge amount of toxic wastewater in the process.

Neither process is especially “sustainable” emissions-wise, but calling mass produced chrome tanned leather organic is almost like calling plastic organic.

 

[svish]

Quite costly for a faux leather case. Expecting to see other case manufacturers also launching sustainable cases.

 

[Kottu]

They are not plastic.

They are mostly cellulose.

I didn’t mean plant based plastic. There are products made out of plastic which has a structure like leather. Otterbox is making out of plant but why to call it as leather?

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Its not just the leather itself, but the way you grow and tan the leather. Feeding a cow takes alot of grass, and in turn alot of land, fertiliser, water, sometimes pesticides (rarely), etc. As for tanning, cheaper and more common chrome tans are incredibly water inefficient and release pollutants into the air and toxic chemicals into local waterways.

Cactuses being a succulent take less water, less cultivated land for growing space, and have basically the same if not more benefits than animal hyde leather (breathability, patina, degradation after use, strength, etc).

Just because killing animals for skin is "natural", it doesn't mean it is sustainable.

While cactus leather can be a lot less taxing on the environment than chrome tan, it also depends on that backing that it uses. Cactus leather requires a backing material to be remotely durable. If you just look at the part made from cactus it’s very soft and fragile. The backing material can be something like cotton or often polyester. That said, when it comes to phone cases it’s almost always a leather/faux leather skin stretched over a hard plastic (which would also get discarded when a new phone comes out) so none of them are all that “sustainable” at the end of the day.

 

[Kottu]

This is better than calling it vegan leather. Vegan leather implies it is made of vegans. Which cows are. So it’s a weird name.

This is technically a form of leather, it’s fruit leather. It counts way more than making something entirely synthetic and calling it leather.

What cows has to do with Vegan leather?
According to Wikipedia;

“Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, and aquatic animals such as seals and alligators.”

So, there should be a new name or term for the products which has a structure like leather but based on plants.
A Swedish toothbrush manufacturer use plant based plastic. It is Bio degradable but in a normal household compost, it can take decades to decay. In a controlled environment it takes only few weeks. So, it is important in which waste group is ends.

It is a good thing to use plants for making cases instead of using plastics but as they are made to be durable, they gonna end up like any other waste in most of the countries. Except for a fre of luxury goods, cars etc, animals are not killed only for their skin. So, isn’t it better for the environment that the skins ends up in products than non “easily “ degradable products?

 

[ghanwani]

Will it allow the phone to survive a 16000 ft drop?

 

[szw-mapple fan]

It is a good thing to use plants for making cases instead of using plastics but as they are made to be durable, they gonna end up like any other waste in most of the countries. Except for a fre of luxury goods, cars etc, animals are not killed only for their skin. So, isn’t it better for the environment that the skins ends up in products than non “easily “ degradable products?

There is a common misconception that leather is just minimally treated raw animal skins that will decompose in a landfill. The goal of leather tanning is to make the skin less degradable so it retains its physical qualities and durability for longer.

The modern process of tanning in 90% of the leather we use is called chrome tanning, which soak animal skins with a chromium agent and creates a leather that is virtually non-biodegradable and produces toxic chrome waste water as a byproduct. The traditional and much more expensive process is vegetable tanning using tannin, which can produce a more biodegradable leather.

 

[infinitejest]

Leather is a co-product of the meat industry. People aren’t going to stop eating meat. Why not continue to offer real leather since the hide will probably be wasted anyway?

This is the dumbest thing. Leather is NOT a co-product. Do some research and get your facts straight before posting such false claims.

 

[AndiG]

It is not the point that there are people who do not want animal products. I have no preference here, I just pick the one I like.
The problems is that nowadays people are considered evil if the prefer e.g. a leather product. Leather is a highly sustainable product and can be used for many years, if Apple would't change the formfactor of the iPhone every year.

 

[star-affinity]

It is not the point that there are people who do not want animal products. I have no preference here, I just pick the one I like.
The problems is that nowadays people are considered evil if the prefer e.g. a leather product. Leather is a highly sustainable product and can be used for many years, if Apple would't change the formfactor of the iPhone every year.

OK, so leather is a highly sustainable product and everyone who claims otherwise are wrong? That settles it then? We'll better go tell Otterbox they've got the numbers wrong.

 

[judgeFire]

"but are created from the more sustainable and ethical cactus material."

Based on whos ethics?

Interesting question coming from a Cylon.

“You, your race, invented murder. Invented killing for sport, greed, envy. It’s man’s one true art form.” – Number Six

 

[iZac]

I have a sarcastic and inflammatory comment, so please take it with the levity that it is intended it, my tongue firmly in cheek;

I wonder if all the negative Vision Pro comments of "Stupid device, I must tell the forum that I'll never buy one!" would be replaced with "must have product, Tim take my kidney as a downpayment" if Apple announced ... a soft leather face seal and head strap for it?

 

[Spike1999]

I'm sure the plant rights activists will be all over this, it'll be a prickly affair.

 

[RandomTox]

greenwashing at its best.

 

[RandomTox]

I don’t understand the use of sustainable in the title. Leather is an organic product made from animals that reproduce organically. How is sustainable here used t differentiate from normal animal leather which is …sustainable and been with humans for millennia and will be with humans for millennia. I think it makes sense to say fusion is sustainable vs coal (which might run out in 1000 years) but between two natural products I don’t get it.

Kudos for the critical thinking. Hard to come by in the brainwashed society these days.

 

[Mikeske]

You pay $60.00 for artificial leather no matter the name whether cactus or simulated I just take a big pass. I have had issues with Otterbox in the past couple years of the design of the holster of the Defender Pro and I finally moved on to a much cheaper but similar product I found on amazon. At just under half the price I have a real plastic and stimulated rubber case that does what I require in my hobby environment.

 

[dante_mr]

Yup, same as calling anything but animal milk, cow, sheep or goat milk milk. Soy, Cashew, Oat, you name it, it ain't milk anymore than this is leather.

Peanut butter right now:

 

[star-affinity]

Kudos for the critical thinking. Hard to come by in the brainwashed society these days.

It's just that sometimes it seems those who think they aren't brainwashed are the most brainwashed. 🤔

Leather production seem to require quite a lot of effort to me.

 

[bigjnyc]

I think everything is an improvement over finewoven. Frankly it is offensive to even propose the comparison, I am sure otterbox had better models to compare to than that horrible material Apple produced.

I wonder if Apple will quietly scrap fine woven and are furiously working on an alternative right now to announce in September.... Or if they will arrogantly double down and in true Apple fashion just announce new colors lol.

 

[brofkand]

As an ally of the cactustarian community, I take offense to the pillaging of nopal cactus plants - many of which have been alive unmolested for 20+ years - for something as silly as an iPhone case. I will further assert that the pejorative term "prickly pear" is offensive in 2024. They are only prickly if you bother them!

 

[crsh1976]

‘An improvement over Finewoven” lol

We need one because FineWoven far too quickly turns into FiercelyWornOut, it doesn't resist or age well at all.

 

[crsh1976]

I wonder if Apple will quietly scrap fine woven and are furiously working on an alternative right now to announce in September.... Or if they will arrogantly double down and in true Apple fashion just announce new colors lol.

Hopefully they will improve it as well as double down and introduce new colours - scrapping it now, after making such a big deal out of it, would be like "oops turns out we sold you crap, sorry!".

 

[MRMSFC]

Better than fake leather made of acrylic imo. I dunno the logistics of making significant amounts of leather from prickly pear but I like the concept.