Grove Introduces iPhone Case Made from Recycled Skateboard Materials - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Grove Introduces iPhone Case Made from Recycled Skateboard Materials

by

Skateback
Grove, makers of bamboo cases for iPhones and MacBooks, have introduced a new environmentally friendly add-on for the iPhone 4/4S. The SkateBack uses waste material from a skateboard factory to give a unique -- although not particularly protective -- look to the iPhone. Grove has partnered with MapleXO, a company that makes recycled skateboard jewelry, to make the case.

The SkateBack makes a short journey from raw skateboard waste at skateboard factory PS Stix, to eye-catching ply with Lindsay at Maple XO, to cell phone accessory at Grove. PS Stix owner Paul Schmitt, of Costa Mesa, CA, has been designing and producing skateboards for nearly three decades. A skateboarder himself, his products are known worldwide for their quality, performance, and durability. PS Stix makes more than 4,000 skateboards every day, 200 per hour, almost three per minute! Thanks to Paul and Lindsay, we’re repurposing those scraps.


SkateBack comes in three color schemes and are available on Grove's website for $49 each.

Top Rated Comments

182 months ago
Cool look. But, are our landfills really overflowing with skateboard scraps?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
182 months ago
Weakest use of the term "case" I've EVER heard.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
182 months ago
What I love is they are taking scraps of skateboards, sawing them down, slapping some "glue" on them, and then selling them for $49 each... Wow I love the mark up on cases...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
182 months ago
Well that could have been a little more tactful.



I'm confused by this as well.

4,000 skateboards per day / 200 skateboards per hour = 20 working hours

That still seems a bit high. To check my work,

4,000 skateboards per day / 20 working hours = 200 skateboards per hour
200 skateboards per hour / 60 minutes per hour = 3 1/3 skateboards per minute

Even at 20 working hours, they are still producing over three skateboards per minute. So at what point (how many working hours) do they produce equal to or less than three skateboards per minute? (Note that the 200 skateboards per hour rule must be disobeyed to calculate this.)

4,000 skateboards per day / 21 working hours = 190.47619047619 skateboards per hour / 60 = 3.1746031746 skateboards per minute. Nope!

4,000 skateboards per day / 22 working hours = 181.81818181818 skateboards per hour / 60 = 3.0303030303. Pretty close to 3!

4,000 skateboards per day / 23 working hours = 173.91304347826 skateboards per hour / 60 = 2.89855072464. Bingo!

Or, to be exact,
3 skateboards per minute * 60 = 180 skateboards per hour
4,0000 skateboards per day / 180 skateboards per hour = 22.22 (repeating 2) working hours per day!

They would have to work over 22 hours a day for them to produce 4,000 skateboards per day at three skateboards per minute. :eek:

This doesn't add up! :confused:

Haha how on earth has a post about skateboard cases attracted so much maths. Brilliant.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmgregory1 Avatar
182 months ago
I went a slightly different direction with my iP4s, although it's currently just the sides. I've wrapped it with a extremely thin, natural cherry, that is just .009" thick, that has a pressure sensitive adhesive on the back.

The wood itself is made using a proprietary process that uses no chemicals or sanding and offers both a unique look and just enough grip to make it easier to hold the phone or pull it out of my pocket. The process for making the wood is so green and efficient that a single log, 15" in diameter by 8' long generates 10,000 square feet of wood. The logs are all hand-selected and sustainably grown and harvested.

All the off-cuts and bark are pelletized and used to fuel a high-efficiency wood fired boiler that heats the building using an in-floor radiant heat system.

I'll do the back as soon as I can create an accurate template.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
181 months ago
The concept is awesome, however what's up with the rainbow?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple WWDC25 iOS 26 CarPlay Light mode 250609

Six Popular iPhone Apps Now Available on CarPlay

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's CarPlay system for accessing iPhone apps on a vehicle's dashboard screen has received six popular apps in recent weeks: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Google Meet, WhatsApp, and the indie artist streaming platform Audiomack. Make sure you have the latest version of each app and they will automatically appear on CarPlay. ChatGPT Starting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based...
ipad mini 7 blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Thursday May 14, 2026 5:08 am PDT by
According to the latest rumors, Apple is close to launching its next-generation iPad mini. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Monday May 11, 2026 9:01 am PDT by
We're only four months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a...