According to an entirely new report, Apple may be preparing to give its accessories a facelift. In addition to rumors that Apple will not offer a leather iPhone 15 case, it appears that all silicone accessories may also be discontinued.

The report comes from MacRumors, which claims to have information from a leaker known as Kosutami that Apple is believed to be discontinuing silicone rubber and fluorine rubber accessories. Apple is said to intend to replace these materials with more environmentally friendly options, but it is not entirely clear at this time what those materials will look like.

According to MacRumors, this change will affect iPhone silicone cases with MagSafe, Apple Watch Sport bands, Solo Loop, and AirTag Loop.

As MacRumors points out, silicone materials are not suitable for recycling. Silicone products do not have as large a carbon footprint as alternative materials like leather, but they are also not as easy to recycle. When it comes to environmentally friendly manufacturing, the more recycling that occurs at all levels of the process, the better.

The transition between materials is not so abrupt and apparently gradual. Therefore, it has been reported that Apple will not stop selling all silicone products, but will simply not release additional color options for new devices. They will then wait for the supply of existing accessories to run out.

There will no doubt be new accessories released with the iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9, but we don't know much about what they will look like. We have heard rumors of a new "FineWoven" Apple Watch band that will come with a magnetic buckle, which would be at least one alternative to the traditional silicone option.

FineWoven is expected to replace leather for the foreseeable future, but MacRumors speculates that it may also take away the role of silicone accessories. While we wait for other eco-friendly Apple materials to become a reality.

More details on this are expected to be announced at the iPhone 15 event on September 12 at 1:00 PM EST (10:00 AM PST). You can also read the latest news and rumors at the iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9 hubs.