PELA Case

History:

The PELA case was developed in Canada by Canadians using Canadian materials. It is a test for bio-plastic/bio-polymer production. Bio-plastics are derived from plants and offer an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastics, which rely on oil for production. Currently, the PELA case is available for Apple’s iPhone 5 and can be purchased at SaskTel corporate stores in Saskatchewan or online. Eventually, the company hopes to provide cases for other phone models, particularly BlackBerry.

Current Location:

Collection Storage Facility

Provenance:

The PELA case was donated by Mr. Jeremy Lang of Open Mind Developments Corporation.

Technical History:

Until recently, bio-plastics were brittle and unsuitable for many products or uses. With the addition of fibre derived from flax straw, they became more flexible. Because flax straw is uniquely strong, the bio-polymers also became more durable. Despite this durability, plastics derived from plants are compostable. Traditional plastics, on the other hand, take hundreds of years to decompose.

The bio-polymer used for the PELA case is composed of sugar from non-food-source crops and flax fibres. The name “pela” comes from the Spanish word for “peel.”

Manufacturer Information:

The PELA case was the result of an idea by Jeremy Lang and research conducted at the University of Saskatchewan. This research was made possible in large part by a grant from Agriculture Canada’s Canadian Agriculture Adaptation Program (CAAP). The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture also provided partial funding through its Saskatchewan Agri-Value Initiative (SAVI).

Open Mind Developments Corporation was founded by Jeremy Lang for the express purpose of manufacturing and distributing the PELA case. The company continues to seek socially and environmentally sustainable alternatives to traditional plastics.