I think Pela Case Might Be Greenwashing…

There, I said it. I think Pela Case might be greenwashing at the worst and at best they are pushing overconsumption.

I’ve been noticing this trend with Pela over the last few years. Their phone grips were lasting shorter and shorter amounts of time. Their cases were getting thinner and thinner. They were pushing new styles more frequently.

Is it for the money? Did they change ownership? What gives?

Let’s find out.

Strike 1: quality going down

I recently called out Pela on Instagram after years of seeing their products’ quality decline. Their cases used to be extremely durable and the patterns lasted for years. Not, their phone cases are clearly thinner and more flimsy and their designs rub off quickly. Their phone grips used to be so strong and long-lasting that I would have to change them from case to case with super glue since they didn’t sell the stickers individually. Now, their phone grips only last 2 months.

I think this is another case of an eco brand getting too obsessed with profits and making money that they are starting to cut corners. Their quality has clearly gone down and I’m not the only one to think this. Check out some of the comments I got on that Instagram post.

But, I still don’t think they’re greenwashing. The definition of greenwashing is, according to Google, “a deceptive practice where companies make misleading statements about their environmental impact to gain a commercial advantage.” Learn more about what greenwashing is in this video.

That is NOT what Pela is doing. They are still eco-friendly phone cases. They are made from wood pulp and they do, in fact, decompose fully at home; I tested it in this video.

But…….forcing consumers to buy more and more of your sustainable product because your quality has gone down is not sustainable for the customer or the planet.

Strike 2: pushing overconsumption

My first red flag with Pela was actually before I noticed their quality degradation. Years ago, I remember seeing a new Pela ad either on Instagram or via email about a new launch. It might not be as extreme as one launch per week but they sure were (and still are) releasing new designs several times a month.

If your case is high quality enough, I should only need 1 case every few years, not a new one every month. Sure, maybe they’re high quality, but as an eco brand, it feels icky, too, to promote buying a new case for each season or each occasion or each outfit.

Just because something is made out of an eco-friendly material like wood pulp instead of plastic is not a reason to overconsume. It’s still overconsumption whether it’s made from plastic or trees or recycled material.

I still see this to this day! Simply scrolling through their IG you can see their endless list of designs. Their website even has 100s of designs per phone model.

Now, this might be knit-picky, but they’re not even cute designs. They feel like they were done with AI and not an actual artist. I cannot prove this, but with quality clearly going down, I wouldn’t be surprised if they cut corners here, too.

During my digging, I also found this post from Sept 9 where they’re promoting the new iPhone. Not only promoting it but also reminding people to buy it and therefore buy a new case. Even though the rest of the eco community is boycotting Apple (I mean, we have been for a while) due to their involvement in the genocide and displacement of Congolese people. You can learn more about that here.

Strike 3: Lomi

What does Lomi have to do with this? They are owned by the same company. I dug deep into Lomi 2 years ago, which you can watch here, and again, I don’t think it’s blatant greenwashing, but it’s suspicious behavior for an eco company. Originally, I didn’t mind the Lomi, especially as a Lomi user myself. It’s the only way I can “compost” in the RV. But, it was when they released their new model a year ago or so. This new model has a catch: a 3 year warranty that allows you to get a brand new machine at the 3-year mark regardless of if your machine works or not. Not only this, but you have to buy 3-years worth of these “Lomi supplements” — Lomi pods and Lomi blends — that are totally unnecessary to your compost in order to qualify. It screams overconsumption and that they simply just want your money.

It feels like that machine is only meant to last for 3 years and not longer. It’s giving planned obsolescence. Plus, they have no machine recycling program and their website is not helpful on how you can recycle the machine yourself. They’re not very closed-loop-system friendly.

Strike 4: not providing cases for old phones

What should Pela do?

I get it, a business needs to make money, but quality degradation is not the way to do it. Especially for a popular eco brand like Pela. This is something I expect from Shein.

There are ways to make money as an eco business such as garnering new customers, having high-quality products that people rave about (I sure used to), and so forth. Especially in a market such as phone cases. There is no shortage of new phones being created therefore there is always a need for more cases. But not like this.

They were successful when they were a higher quality. I recommended them to EVERYONE. I even got my in-person friends to buy them. My friends who didn’t even know I lived an eco life or did social media. That is how good they were.

A business needs to make money, but not at the cost of the planet. And now, they’re also losing customers. Not just me, again, check out more of the Instagram comments.

The verdict

So, do I think Pela is greenwashing? No.

But, do I think Pela is an eco company? Unfortunately, I no longer do.

Yes, it’s great that they are using eco-friendly materials. Yes, it’s so cool that their cases and accessories actually break down. But a sustainable company should build their products to last. A sustainable company should not push overconsumption. A sustainable company should encourage their consumers to be MORE eco-friendly.

I have to say, I will no longer be supporting them after this case. I cannot justify buying a $60 case and 6 $15 phone grips every year since they only last 2 months.

I hate to resort back to plastic, but if that brand is a higher quality, I’m going to do it.

I’ve said this in the past and I’ll say it again: I would rather buy something made out of plastic once in my life than buy something made from sustainable materials several times a year. That is ALSO unsustainable in its own way. We have to stop thinking in black and white about eco topics.

So, what do you think? Has Pela quality gone down?

Any other brands I should call out next (cough cough Girlfriend Collective)?

As always remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)

Emma