Jul

7 Eco Friendly iPad Accessories

APPLE IPAD: Eco friendly iPad cases and iPad accessories

Guest post by Henrik Larsson

THE iPad is made from recyclable materials like aluminum and glass, and contains no arsenic, bromine, mercury or PVC. It consumes a measly 2.5 Watts an hour and the battery can be recycled and used for other purposes when it dies. Given all the effort Apple has made to bring out a gadget that's environmentally responsible, it would be a shame not to buy eco-friendly accessories to go with it. Here are a few ideas.

iPad Accessories: The TAPE iPad case (￡20 - roughly R220)

South African designer Ryan Frank and TAPE, an independent British record label, have joined forces to create an eco-friendly iPad case made from fabric-backed cork. Cork is recyclable and completely biodegradable. The cork used for the TAPE case is sourced from sustainable cork grown in Portugal. The handmade case is light and durable, and holds your iPad nice and tight.

iPad Accessories: The F23 iPad Sleeve (€65 - roughly R520)

There are an abundance of iPad cases on the market made from all sorts of recycled materials, including vintage clothes, reclaimed wet suits and recycled plastic bottles. One of the most original cases, produced by the Swiss company Freitag, is the F23 iPad Sleeve. This case is made from recycled truck tarpaulins. It has a velvety lining which cleans your iPad when you take it out of the sleeve and put it back in again.

iPad Accessories: The Treegloo iPad case ($35 - roughly R250)

Treegloo allows you to design your own iPad case. You can choose the colour and design for each component, from cover to liner, and you can get your own logo or special design put on the case. Made from locally sourced pine, animal-friendly faux leather and special adhesives that are safer for the environment, these handmade cases take 5-7 days to produce.

iPad Accessories: Lost Dog Slim Case Stand ($60, roughly R420)

The Lost Dog iPad case, by Bluetrek, is made from recycled – and recyclable – microfiber with a suede-like finish. This is wrapped around a plastic shell which keeps your iPad securely in place. The nice thing about this case is that the front flap does double duty as a stand when it's folded back. The Slim Case also comes with something that looks a like suede branding tag but is actually a microfiber screen cleaning pad which can be used to keep your iPad's display free of dust, smudges and oily fingerprints.

iPad Accessories: The Lap Log (From $40 - roughly R280)

The Lap Log is a nice alternative to the usual type of tablet stand. It's a 100% recyclable beanbag made from organic hemp or cotton fabric - filled with naturally grown buckwheat. It also has a salvaged wood insert to rest your iPad on. The beanbag weighs about half a kilo and is stable enough to use on almost any surface. The breathable organic materials used to make the beanbag ensure that it stays cool when it's on your lap. The Lap Log also makes a nice pillow.

iPad Accessories: The Woodtec docking station (From $98 - roughly R680)

Woodtec's unique log docking stations are handmade in New Paltz, New York, from local cedar trees. Not only does the docking station allow you to charge your iPad and sync with your computer and iTunes via a standard USB plug, it also adds the pleasant waft of cedar to your surroundings. The docking station is designed to work without an iPad case but you need to ensure the tablet is supported by the back of the dock to avoid putting too much pressure on the 30-pin connection when it's leaning back. Woodtec docking stations are compatible with all iPhone and iPod models, except for the Shuffle.

iPad Accessories: The Spark Tablet Case ($300 - roughly R2100)

If you feel like splashing out on a cutting-edge accessory, the Spark Tablet Case was launched in June. Produced by Voltaic, the company that brought us the Converter solar backpack, the Spark Tablet case has a solar panel and is made from recycled plastic bottles. It is lightweight, waterproof and UV-resistant. The waterproof solar panel generates roughly 8 Watts per hour, providing around an hour of iPad runtime for every hour in the sun. The case comes with a universal battery pack which holds nearly one full iPad charge and can be recharged in 8-9 hours of direct sunlight, or by using the included high power 2A USB port. The case weighs just under a kilo, has mesh pockets to store adapters and cables, and is big enough to hold the odd bit of paperwork and other iPad accessories.