Pela

Based in Canada, Pela offers accessories such as phone cases, phone grips, cases for electronics, and sunglasses made from compostable materials. Pela uses a proprietary material called “Flaxstic” in their products, which are made from a blendof plant-based biopolymer and flax shive (a waste byproduct of flax oilseed harvest). The company is reportedly the producer of the world’s first compostable phone case and claims that its phone cases can fully decompose in under six months. 

The company also operates a recycling program called “Pela 360,” where they collect their own cases as well as plastic cases from other companies to upcycle them into new Pela products. The company also provides envelopes with each case so that customers can mail end-of-life cases back to Pela’s collection offices in Kelowna, Canada.

As of October 2022, the company had more than 2 million customers using its products and had prevented 760,000 pounds of waste from entering landfills. In addition, Pela’s phone cases claim to have a 30% lower carbon footprint, 34% less water usage, and 80% less waste production compared to plastic cases. Pela also aims to eliminate 10 billion pounds of waste from global waste streams by 2028.

Key customers and partnerships

In September 2022 , the company partnered with QALO, a California-based producer of silicone-based jewelry, to launch a line of compostable rings called “QALO x Pela,” which is made from plant-based materials. 

Funding and financials

Pela last raised USD 5 million in a venture funding round in October 2019. The funds were used to support the expansion of the company’s leading sustainable phone protection products.