Ruthie
Johns Hopkins University
Greenest Day 4
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The product that I chose was the InCase iPhone 4S Slider Case which retails for $34.98 at
my school’s Barnes and Noble.
o Here is the product description from the website www.goincase.com:
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“Our Slider Case offers the finest in sleek, dependable protection the
iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. Durable hardshell construction protects
against scratches and bumps, while the interior rubber guardrails add
shock absorption. The Slider Case offers complete protection for all
sides and corners of your iPhone while still providing direct access to
all its features, ports and buttons.”
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In order for this product to be sustainable, the materials used to create the case should
be made from post-consumer resources like plastic or renewable resources like
bamboo.
I could not find the actual type of plastic that InCase uses for their hard-shelled cases, so
I thought I could talk about the health and environmental implications behind plastics in
general. According to www.breastcancerfund.org there are 5 chemicals that are most
commonly found in plastics that can have serious health impacts:
o BPA – Bisphenol A
 Also found in water bottles, this chemical has been linked to breast
cancer and endocrine abnormalities.
o Phthalates
 The National Toxicology Program lists this as a potential human
Carcinogen and has been shown to cause reproductive problems.
 http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=24
o Vinyl Chloride
 This chemical causes many health issues from birth defects, liver damage
and even liver cancer.
 http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/hlthef/vinylchl.html
o Dioxin
 Long term exposure to dioxins can causes some types of cancer and
immune system impairment
 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/
o Styrene
 It is classified as a possible carcinogen and can cause developmental
harm.
 http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/hlthef/styrene.html
o Environmental effects
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The production of plastics releases pollution through the use of fossil
fuels. Because climate change is very dire it is important to stop excessive
use of fossil fuels.
A switch to a more sustainable product would reduce the amount of greenhouse gases
released during production and depending on the material used to make the sustainable
case, reduce student exposure to harmful chemicals in plastics. Hopefully if other
students see there are sustainable options for more than just paper and pens, they will
begin think and implement other sustainable practices in their lives.
Sustainable options:
o Case-Mate 100% Recycled Plastic Case
 This case is made from one recycled plastic
bottle. It is $35.00 so there is no difference in
price.
 http://www.case-mate.com/iPhone-4Cases/Case-Mate-iPhone-4-4S-rPET-100Recycled-Plastic-Case-2159_6536-opt.aspx
o Bamboo iPhone case from Habitatimprint on
Etsy
 These cases are made from bamboo, a
very popular sustainable resource at the
moment. They are $30 not including
shipping and handling so they may even
be cheaper than InCase. Plus you can get
the cases imprinted with unique
designs!
 http://www.etsy.com/listing/106075436
/iphone-4-bamboo-case-winter-blues?ref=v1_other_1
o iPhone 4/4S SkateBack case from Grove
 This case is made from 100% recycled
skateboard material. They look amazing and so
unique. They are $39 on the website. I would
definitely pay a little extra to get a case that
looked liked this and was sustainable!
 http://www.grovemade.com/product/iphoneskateback/#vibrant-iphone-skateback