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

[victorvictoria]

$60 for a case made of discarded plant scraps? I suppose if you want to make that statement (for yourself, no one else will even know unless you brag about it), go for it. But what are we going to do with all the hides of the cows we're eating by the gigaton in this country, or the ones they're growing for us in China? Burn them?

 

[sparkinstx]

Far out man! ✌️

 

[gco212]

Vegen leather, cactus leather…. Why to call them leather at all? Just call plastic or plant based.

Agreed, it's not leather, quick calling it that.

 

[gco212]

Unfortunately consumers can be confused both ways. I'm vegetarian and so is my old co-worker, she had a handbag that she proudly told me was vegan because it had "vegetable tanned leather" stamped on it. I frequently regret that I broke it to her what it actually meant, she had such a defeated reaction. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

But yeah I'm happy for things to be described as faux milk, or faux leather or whatever focus grouped name someone invents. Consumers transitioning to other more sustainable products need to know what their buying is analogous to. I for instance need to know what milk equivalent liquid is going to cream up my cup of tea properly without having to do a bunch of research.

The worst is at a restaurant when you have to ask, is the "Chixen" actual chicken or a vegetable substitute, and the server has no clue.

 

[iZac]

The worst is at a restaurant when you have to ask, is the "Chixen" actual chicken or a vegetable substitute, and the server has no clue.

haha, for me it's when I'm suspiciously poking a faux burger patty that is at least visually convincing enough to look like meat. I miss the days when mock meat products were so bad you knew for certain you weren't being served meat by mistake.

 

[JohnApples]

I came to the comments to see if people were up in arms over a completely optional, third party, leather alternative phone case. And MacRumors did not disappoint!

I’m completely fine with this as an option for people who want to use a non-animal-based phone case. I haven’t even used or seen it and I bet it’s a much better leather alternative than FineWoven.

 

[Njiphoner]

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

Based on whos ethics?

These folks. I'm not making a statement or opinion on the matter, just found this in the release.

https://media.otterbox.com/2024-01-09-Chic-in-Cacti-All-New-Cactus-Leather-Cases-from-OtterBox

"Developed by Adriano di Marti, Desserto® is the world's first highly sustainable and environmentally friendly organic material made of Nopal cactus. This patented plant-based, soft touch material is used in clothing, footwear, purses and now OtterBox mobile accessories.

Nopal cacti are able to thrive in harsh conditions and do not need irrigation or constantly warm weather. The cacti support a biodiverse ecosystem and the Desserto® farm sequesters substantially more CO2 than the farming process produces.2 Plus, only mature leaves are harvested, allowing for regrowth of the cactus to be harvested again in six to eight months."

 

[Queues]

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.

“Vegan leather” does not imply it’s made of vegans any more than “iPhone case” implies it’s made of iPhones. It’s leather made for vegans.

The people arguing in here over this are just being pedantic.

 

[DailySlow]

I think the per capita consumption of meat (especially industrial produced) needs to decrease. No one is really talking about some kind of total ban on meat consumption. The cactus leather seems like a decent alternative and doesn't kill the plant.

 

[jhwalker]

Thus all humankind must first become vegetarian/vegans... before we get to the topic of how animal skin is utilized, granted.

OR ... we REDUCE the usage of cattle byproducts bit by bit, at a personal level 🤷‍♂️

It doesn't have to be "all or nothing".

 

[jhwalker]

I think the per capita consumption of meat (especially industrial produced) needs to decrease. No one is really talking about some kind of total ban on meat consumption. The cactus leather seems like a decent alternative and doesn't kill the plant.

Agreed - I like the idea very much, and will be checking it out when available.

 

[theluggage]

It's called milkweed, but it's not milk, why use the name?

AFAIK nobody is bottling milkweed sap and promoting it as an alternative to (Cow's) milk so there's really no cause for confusion. Also, the usage is probably hundreds of years old, not something dreamed up yesterday to sell phone cases to Gen Z.

OTOH, you'd probably be annoyed if someone tried to pass off cheap, synthetic "non-dairy creamer" as real, squirted-out-of-an-animal milk or cream, so some level of truth in packaging is desirable. At the moment, I guess the milk alternatives being promoted on health/ethics/sustainability are more expensive to produce and/or can be sold at a premium so there's no incentive to pass then off as dairy - that could change with time (esp. as agricultural subsidies shift).

In the case of leather - even if you forget modern ethical issues we already have terms like "PU leather" and "leatherette" used to describe plastic*. AFAIK these are legally tolerated, but it's still clear that the terms are used quite cynically to make cheap plastic sound like premium leather. That would make me skeptical about anything sold as "not-leather leather". Not suggesting the government send in the thought police, but it would be better if these new materials were marketed on their own merits under new names. Apple did crash-and-burn with "fine woven" but it sounds like that was down to the quality of the product - the concept was perfectly sound.

*Not to be confused with Faux Leather - unfortunately, the faux is now nearly extinct due to over-hunting for its leather and fur. Gone is the sight of majestic herds of faux sweeping through the morning mists below Faux Pass.

 

[Sarcastro]

Is there anybody that sells a case made of actual leather?

 

[wigby]

Thus all humankind must first become vegetarian/vegans... before we get to the topic of how animal skin is utilized, granted.

Only if you're an extremist. Big tectonic shifts in culture, diet, technology, etc. take decades or even centuries to transpire. And they're all interconnected. Some people spend their entire lives denying or fighting change which seems like a waste of life to me.

 

[VulchR]

4 pages of comments on cactus versus cow leather. Apparently it's a prickly topic. Only in MR.

To add my two cents: Cacti are slow-growing, so how is this sustainable - are the cacti farmed? Wouldn't bamboo be better if you wanted a source of cellulose?

 

[Martyimac]

Is there anybody that sells a case made of actual leather?

Nomad

 

[xRem]

The biggest issue remains that few things offer the quality leather has. Cheaply manufactured alternative products calling themselves leather while not having most of the characteristics typical of leather (including being incredibly sustainable, since leather can be used for decades without loss of quality) seems like an insult. I'd be happy if there was a non-leather case option that had the same quality as leather, but people are just getting taken for a ride and made to pay extra for it.

 

[Motionblurrr]

I came to the comments to see if people were up in arms over a completely optional, third party, leather alternative phone case. And MacRumors did not disappoint!

I’m completely fine with this as an option for people who want to use a non-animal-based phone case. I haven’t even used or seen it and I bet it’s a much better leather alternative than FineWoven.

God, remember the internet like in 2007-2010? Even MacRumors at that time? The early iPhones?

It was NEVER this whiny and so opinionated and debate-y.

Good times..

 

[tennisproha]

Turns out cactus leather is actually... plastic. So just another greenwashing attempt.

Marketing Hype or Reality? Why Plant-and-Plastic Hybrids Are The Worst of Both Worlds - The Circular Laboratory

Cactus Leather. Coffee Shoes. Why the trend of plastic-and-plant material hybrids is bad for the planet, and how some people are doing it differently.

thecircularlaboratory.com

 

[SebCohen]

Thats not leather.

 

[imola.zhp]

I kinda like it, interested to see what reviewers think.

 

[gco212]

“Vegan leather” does not imply it’s made of vegans any more than “iPhone case” implies it’s made of iPhones. It’s leather made for vegans.

The people arguing in here over this are just being pedantic.

"Vegan leather" does imply it's leather, though, which it isn't.

 

[CarAnalogy]

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?

Cows are vegans. They eat only vegetables.

 

[CarAnalogy]

“Vegan leather” does not imply it’s made of vegans any more than “iPhone case” implies it’s made of iPhones. It’s leather made for vegans.

The people arguing in here over this are just being pedantic.

He said pedantically.

 

[Jumpthesnark]

Turns out cactus leather is actually... plastic. So just another greenwashing attempt.

Marketing Hype or Reality? Why Plant-and-Plastic Hybrids Are The Worst of Both Worlds - The Circular Laboratory

Cactus Leather. Coffee Shoes. Why the trend of plastic-and-plant material hybrids is bad for the planet, and how some people are doing it differently.

thecircularlaboratory.com

Partly plastic. Likely urethane, according to the story. Fibers from the cactus are used to make the rest. I sincerely hope no one here thought that the phone cases were made 100% from plant material, that would be a manufacturing nightmare.

"Rubber" products that we purchase all the time are rarely 100% rubber. Just like iPhone cases that we see for sale made with "rubber" are actually made with rubber as part of a mostly synthetic, petrochemical-based material, which is easier for manufacturing and usability consistency, applying permanent dyes to, molding, etc.

But I haven't seen the MR forums descend into bickering about those not being real rubber. It's pretty amazing - and disappointing - how pedantic some of the discussions have gotten here.

It's an iPhone case made party from plant cellulose, full stop. Let's move on.