Published January 10, 2013 05:01AM
Eco-Friendly Protective Gear for Your Gadgets
For someone who claims immunity from technology dependency, my mobile phone’s trip through the wash was a real reality check. Hoping to revive it, I tried the bury-your-phone-in-rice thing, which worked for roughly two seconds before the truth set in: My phone was really dead. Since then, I’ve learned there isn’t much hope of resuscitating a completely drowned mobile phone, but there are all sorts of sleeves, bags, cases, and covers to protect our precious gadgets from the occasional tumble or spill. These five accoutrements offer protection with an eco-friendly edge.
For someone who claims immunity from technology dependency, my mobile phone’s trip through the wash was a real reality check. Hoping to revive it, I tried the bury-your-phone-in-rice trick, which worked for roughly two seconds before the truth set in: My phone was really dead. Since then, I’ve learned there isn’t much hope of resuscitating a completely drowned mobile phone, but there are all sorts of sleeves, bags, cases, and covers to protect our precious gadgets from the occasional tumble or spill. These five accoutrements offer protection with an eco-friendly edge.
Case Closed
Remove a few letters from “Kindle” and you’ve got “kid.” If you coddle your e-reader like a child, you’ll want to shelter it in one of these arty, recycled-plastic cases hand-made by Caseable in Brooklyn. http://www.caseable.com/custom-kindle-paperwhite-case/Kindle/best-seller/grass
Pheelin’ Phone-y
The MiniWiz Re-case smart-phone cover comes with green cred. Made from rice bran and recycled plastics, it’s durable and protective, and gives good, no-slip grip in even the fumbliest of hands. http://www.miniwiz.com/miniwiz/en/products/clothing-accessories/re-case
Pad Your iPad
This padded iPad sleeve from Plaid Doctrine wouldn’t look out of step on the set of Downton Abbey, yet the construction is thoroughly modern. The faux-wool fabric is made from recycled PET bottles and has water-and stain-resistant properties. http://www.plaiddoctrine.com/shop/details/000000004/ipad_sleeve
Quirky & Corky
Lightweight, recycled cork is what gives the Kork 2 iPad cover its protective prowess. Durable yet flexible, it gives a low-fi look to your high-tech hardware, and is almost completely klutz-proof. http://shop.aprodukt.com/collections/products/products/the-kork
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Brown Bag It
Matt & Nat, one of the first purveyors of fashion-forward vegan purses, partnered with Apple to create this leathery-looking bag made from recycled plastic bottles that’s roomy enough to hold all your iStuff. http://store.apple.com/us/product/HA147ZM/A/matt-nat-13-motto-bag-for-macbook-pro
Veg fashion blogger Aurelia d’Andrea has devoted a disproportionately large portion of her life to scouring thrift stores, vintage boutiques, and flea markets in search of sartorial treasures, and has a closet full of frocks to prove her passion for the hunt. Going veg taught her to sharpen her style skills, and confirmed what she’d suspected all along: It really is possible to develop a fashionable point of view and keep your ethics intact, too. She lives in Paris where she blogs (My Vegan Parisian Aventure), writes books (Moon Living Abroad in France), and eats way too many carbs.