Welcome to the SPECK ECO website

SPECK ECO is the name we’ve given to our over decade-long journey to consciously and consistently lessen our impact on planet earth. We built this site because so many Speck fans wanted to know what we’re doing to benefit our planet. We believe it’s a lot, and growing every year! We’ll update this page every time we reach another milestone in our journey to be more green. And, we’ll take a ‘just the facts’ approach and leave it to you to determine whether we are doing a good enough job. Back To Top ^

HISTORY

Speck has pursued sustainable practices for over 10 years:

2012 – Revised packaging to include post-consumer waste content
2017 – Redesigned packaging to use more responsible materials like PaperFoam
2019 – Fully redesigned packaging again for easier consumer recycling
2020 – Started product recycling materials research project
2020 – Replaced the plastic retail hook box hanger with paperboard for better recyclability
2021 – Sponsored Eco-Train mobile accessories takeback program
2022 – iPad & laptop cases included recycled PET plastics
2022 – All Speck packaging comes from FSC-certified printing vendors (see “Packaging” below)
2022 – Many Speck phone cases contain a percentage of recycled plastics (see “Products” below)
2023 – Starting with cases for the iPhone 15, almost all Speck phone cases are made from 50% recycled plastics (see “Products” below)

PACKAGING

Speck has worked for years to optimize our packaging to be more and more recyclable plus made from recycled materials (also known as post-consumer or pre-consumer reclaimed materials). Most recently, we have worked with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to ensure that all printing vendors we use are FSC-certified. Since fall of 2022, all Speck packaging includes the Forest Stewardship Council logo—certificate FSC #’s C167400, C173140, & C177586—indicating that all Speck printing vendors have been FSC-certified and use a mix of of materials from FSC-certified forests, recycled materials, and/or FSC controlled wood.

PRODUCTS

Recycling logos with percentages - 10%, 20%, and 30%

Speck produces and sells many millions of products each year. So we have been looking for ways to lessen our impact using several approaches. One is that we engineer our products to be durable and long lasting. For example, the Presidio Perfect Clear case was developed with UV and antimicrobial inhibitors integrated into the plastic to prevent it from yellowing with age. This not only keeps it looking good for much longer, it hopefully also prevents it from being replaced causing the use of more plastic. Since fall of 2022, many Speck phone cases contain a percentage of recycled plastics. Since fall of 2023, almost all Speck phone cases are made from 50% recycled plastics!

LOGISTICS

Illustrations of an airport and sea port

In 2022, Speck secured earlier schedules for tooling creation, manufacturing, package printing, and shipping to have the bulk of our products use ocean shipping^*. This required a significant monetary investment and additional business risk, but it demonstrated the commitment we were making to benefit our planet. In 2023, we continued to strengthen these processes companywide, driving towards the most eco-friendly shipping practices available. And even though this effort is costly and more risky up front, it has made Speck a stronger company financially which has helped us invest in innovative new technologies like ClickLock, and new product categories like Gemtones true wireless earbuds.

^*Cited Sources: Guardian Article, MIT News Article

COMPANY

We have also taken many steps in how we conduct business to help the environment while building a stronger Speck. Just two examples are as follows: 1) We’ve gone to a fully remote-capable workforce where most Speck employees can work from wherever they choose. 2) We’ve subsequently been able to rightsize our ‘not-so-corporate’ headquarters in San Mateo, California. This cuts down on energy usage from office machines, air conditioning and heater systems, and greatly cuts back on the use of gasoline and auto emissions by eliminating the daily commute.

We hope you like what we’ve been doing. But we know it’s still never enough. That’s why SPECK ECO is a philosophy, not just a website or sustainability program. Come back to SpeckEco.com again and join us on our journey.