These Old Google Pixel Cases Are Living On As Recycled Disc Golf Discs [Video]

Old smartphone cases usually end up in the trash, but two brands are collaborating to turn old phone cases that aren’t relevant anymore into discs for the game of disc golf, and one of the first batches includes a bunch of Google Pixel cases.

One of the many side effects of the yearly smartphone cycle that brings a lot of waste is what ends up happening to smartphone cases. The ones we use often end up thrown in the trash when we upgrade, which has led to some clever ideas such as Pela’s biodegradable cases. But while consumers are throwing away plenty of cases, the brands selling these cases will often get stuck with many more that no one will want to buy – that’s a big reason you’ll find fire sale discounts on previous-generation cases from many brands.

To help solve that problem on their end, casemaker Loopy Cases – a brand that’s been supporting Google Pixel phones since the beginning – partnered with a disc golf brand, Trash Panda, which has been producing discs from the broken, damaged, or no-longer-wanted discs of other brands in the sport for years. A partnership between Loopy and Trash Panda now sees old cases melted down and turned into disc golf discs.

In a video posted this week, Trash Panda details this new partnership and its first batch of discs. The “Phone Case Inner Core” is a disc golf putt & approach disc that’s made from these old cases. The pink variation is shown to be made from old iPhone cases, while the teal version is made from old Google Pixel cases – Pixel 4a, based on the design and the apparent headphone jack cutout.

This process works because disc golf discs and phone cases are often made from the same material, TPU. That material is great for protecting your phone from drops, but is also used to craft discs for the sport of disc golf. Being made from these melted down phone cases, the discs also have a “flake” effect left over from portions of the case that doesn’t melt down the same as the rest of the plastic.

The “Phone Case Inner Core” is available now for $22, with the discs made in Trash Panda’s manufacturing facility in Denver, Colorado.