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A biodegradable iPhone case which has been designed by Dublin-based company is to contribute to maintaining jobs in the north west of the country.

Confirmed orders for one million units of the Jivo LEAF could be contributing to saving a few jobs in Ireland where it is being manufactured and packaged. The JIVO Leaf was designed by Eva Grundy, design and marketing manager with TNS Distribution and JIVO Technology

The thinking process for the product started before Christmas, explains Grundy, and already a number of the products have been manufactured, taking just two minutes apiece.

They biodegrade after five years (once put into a biodegrable bin for example). “They do not melt in your hand,” explains Grundy.

The founders of JIVO, John McHugh and Ivan Eustace, saw a gap in the market for this product considering people replace their Apple cases often, for example if they scratch or they just want a new look.

“The Jivo packaging is all recyclable and the thought was it would be great to make a plastic case as eco friendly as their packaging,” says Grundy.

The assumption was it would be expensive to make. “We were thinking it would be great if we could make it here because if it’s going to be biodegradable and eco friendly you still have to ship it in from the Far East and then with its carbon footprint it defeats the whole purpose.”

The directors found a pharmaceutical injection mould company in the north west which they discovered could make a bio-degradable product – at a price that would still make the product affordable to consumers. The units take about 2 minutes apiece to make and have to be put on and taken off the mould by hand – not by a machine. The packaging had to also be designed to be recyclable and have no glue, varnish or plastic and is also being printed here.

“Everything is being done in Ireland – designed here, manufactured here. When it’s been shipped from here around Europe it has a lower carbon footprint and we can still all do it for €19.99. You would presume something like that would be more expensive and that we couldn’t do it all in Ireland.”

It is available online to buy and it still has to be confirmed which of the large mobile retailers will get exclusivity on it. Naturally, JIVO hopes to expand the range to other cases such as iPod and iPod Nano cases, maybe even the iPad – and all in Ireland.

Grundy hopes it will encourage other companies to have to look around at home to manufacture items here.