Plastic isn’t biodegradable. As indispensable as that cheap, synthetic material has become, it’s usually not on top of the list for anyone who pays attention to how their purchases affect the environment. If you’re one of those people and are currently on the hunt for an affordable timepiece, you’d probably be interested in the Sprout Biodegradable Watch.
While the watches themselves look like regular plastic accessories, they’re actually made from corn resin, which uses no oil resources during production and is 99% biodegradable within a year of being discarded. Bearing many of the qualities of synthetic plastics, the resin has been used as primary material for the watch cases, casebacks and bracelet links.
The Sprout Biodegradable Watch comes in a variety of models, each one using parts that are between 80 to 93 percent biodegradable. Aside from the corn resin, other materials used in varying quantities on the models include bamboo (used in some dials), mother of pearl (used in some dials), mineral crystal (lens), organic cotton (bands), conflict-free diamonds and mercury-free batteries.
Sounds sweet, right? Well, there’s one problem: corn resin is a porous material and cannot be sealed as well as regular plastics. That means, the watches aren’t water resistant, so you’ll have to take it off when you wash the dishes, take a shower or reach for something inside your Hanging Aquarium.
If you can live with the lack of water-repelling qualities, the Sprout Biodegradable Watch should prove an affordable ($30 to $75) and eco-friendly alternative to the things you strap to your wrists for telling time. Plus, the designs look good. You can check out the collection from the link below.