A new phone with a casing made of bioplastic has been released in Japan.

The Forma N701 iECO replaces the oil-based plastics used in the case with a polylactic acid (PLA) resin reinforced with kenaf fibers. The new casing is made 90% from biological sources and was developed by electronics firm NEC and plastics group Unitika.

According to NEC, the added kenaf fibres improve the strength and heat resistance of the PLA, which has the brand name Terramac. "By adding kenaf fibre, the temperature at which the PLA changes form can be improved by over 20°C," they declared.

Resistance to impact shocks due to the dropping of the phone was increased by adding a biomass-based plasticizer and filler.

NEC plan to replace over 10% of their oil-based plastic in the electronic products with bioplastic by the year 2010.