THIS ENTRY WAS POSTED ON April 21, 2023 BY The Pleasure Chest.
If you've ever wondered about the sustainability of your sex toys or if you´re looking for eco friendly sex toys options for your sex toy collection, you are not alone!
More than ever, people are demanding transparency and eco-friendly practices in the production and manufacturing of the goods they purchase across all industries, including the sex toy industry, and the world of pleasure products! The trends speak for themselves—more companies are adapting their operations to renewable energy sources and using more sustainable materials to reduce the environmental impact. Some may say the adult toy industry is a little behind when it comes to eco-friendly manufacturing choices, but many brands are quickly following suit to meet the demand of a more environmentally conscious culture.
From what materials sex toys are made of to the manufacturing process, there are many facets of the pleasure products industry that are rife with opportunities to go green. And you, as a consumer and enjoyer of these products, have the choice to tell companies what you think of their practices with your purchasing power!
This Earth Day, we've put together a comprehensive guide on how to figure out if your toys are earth-friendly, what to look for when shopping for sustainable sex toys and accessories, and eco friendly sex toy brands that are moving the industry forward with their eco-conscious ethics and practices.
Sustainable Sex Toys: Eco-Friendly Materials
Silicone
Silicone is a common alternative that people use to replace plastic and it can be made into almost anything, from surgical implants to phone cases to sex toys! Unlike plastic, silicone is non-toxic material as it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals like phthalates and BPA, making it a safer choice for non-toxic sex toys. It’s made from silica, which is found in sand in abundance. Silicone sex toys are incredibly durable and able to withstand both cold and hot temperatures. Silicone is recyclable but, due to its high durability, is not biodegradable.
There are many formulas and blends of silicone out there, some more resistant to damage than others (like food-grade and medical-grade silicone). It’s becoming more common for adult toys to be made with high-quality silicone blends (details of the exact blend will be listed on the product’s packaging), but there are still silicone-plastic sex toys on the market as well, most frequently used to create soft and squishy textures for realistic feeling dildos and stroking toys. These hybrid blends are not as long-lasting as pure silicone.
A few brands creating their own blends of high-quality, high-grade silicone are Fun Factory, Tantus and Vixen Creations:
 Fun Factory Tiger G5 |  |
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Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is one of the most environmentally eco friendly sex toy materials because it’s 100% recyclable!
And not only is it recyclable, but it can be endlessly recycled without
diminishing its quality. It can be melted down and remade into new items repeatedly.
It’s versatile, durable, able to withstand corrosion and extreme temperatures,
and its manufacturing process is minimal and environmentally neutral. The
process requires no chemicals and therefore avoids creating harmful chemical
waste and pollution.
Stainless steel is made from rocks and is an alloy, a combination of various metals like nickel, iron and chromium with iron being the star of the show. Stainless steel itself isn’t a natural resource but it’s derived from natural resources.
While stainless steel can take anywhere between 100-1000 years to completely break down, once it does, its contents—iron, titanium, manganese, etc.—actually benefit earth’s soil. It’s rare to find a material that, once discarded, genuinely has a positive impact on the environment!
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Glass
Like stainless steel, glass sex toys are also infinitely recyclable. It’s made from raw materials found in
nature such as sand and limestone. It’s also partially made from pure glass
(called cullet); almost all new glass made contains at least some recycled
glass. Once the glass sex toys are made, the item itself can be used for various purposes,
for example from jam jar to cup to vase to storage container.
Recycling glass helps reduce carbon emissions and saves energy and natural resources. It takes less energy to create because used glass melts at a much lower temperature. The glass packaging industry has decreased the amount of energy needed to create glass by 70% in the last 50 years and is on track to be completely climate-neutral by 2050!
Glass dildos and toys are usually made from borosilicate glass, similar to what Pyrex used to be made of. It’s temperature resistant at both high and low temperatures, making it a great material for sensation play. Borosilicate glass is durable, non-toxic, resistant to thermal shock, and it’s also dishwasher safe so you can easily clean your toys without having to hand wash every piece!
 Icicles Glass Dildo No. 86 |  |  |
Sustainable Sex Toys: Defining Sustainability
Unfortunately, a growing number of brands across all industries take advantage of the language of sustainability without actually observing sustainable practices, a trend called greenwashing. To avoid any confusion and misinformation, let’s define what exactly ‘sustainable’ and ‘eco-friendly’ means before we dive into our favorite eco friendly sex toys and brands.
The truth is, a brand being ‘sustainable’ could mean a number of things, and sadly there’s no set standard for how brands are allowed to define themselves outside of a few key parameters. Using the term ‘eco-friendly’ could apply to ethical business practices, eco-conscious choices in operations such as using green energy like solar power, using recycled and recyclable materials in the manufacturing process, and even incentives for customers to buy products like, “one tree planted for every item purchased.” Some companies take on a few earth-friendly practices from this list, but the best brands will attempt to do as many as possible.
The most straightforward way to find out if a brand is eco-friendly is to look for certain symbols or information on their packaging. These symbols will tell you a number of things, including if the packaging is recyclable, biodegradable or compostable, if the product was made in accordance with sustainable governmental guidelines like forest initiatives and renewable energy, and if the company contributes to conservation organizations like the World Wildlife Fund.
Check out the example to the right from one of the most sustainable and favorite sex toy brands in the industry, Fun Factory.
If you want to build an earth-friendly sex toy collection, you should seek out:
- toys that will last longer (lithium ion powered motors, rechargeable motors)
- materials that are eco-friendly (silicone, glass, stainless steel)
- products that can be reused or refilled
- brands that use packaging that is recycled and/or recyclable
- toy companies that use ethical, eco-conscious business practices
An increasing number of brands are eager to meet customers where they’re at in terms of their environmental concerns, and some brands have been taking on eco-friendly practices for years already!
Sustainable Sex Toys: Eco-Friendly Brands
Below are the most eco-friendly toy companies and sex toys in the industry. They offer a variety of options from thrusting vibrators to dildos made of crystals to vegan faux leather goods for all your BDSM needs. If you’re inclined to use your purchasing power to encourage more earth-conscious behaviors from pleasure companies, these toys and vibrators are the ones you’ll want to stick with!
Fun Factory
Fun Factory manufactures all of their products in a low-emissions factory that doubles as
their shipping hub, reducing unnecessary production pollution. They also have a
recycling program that saves 40 tons of resources each year. Fun Factory even
uses locally sourced recyclable cardboard for their packaging, which features sex
toy tips and game ideas to get creative!
As for the toys themselves, Fun Factory’s lithium motors are some of the longest lasting in the industry and can be charged thousands of times without losing power. They also have rechargeable batteries to pair with their battery-operated products. High-quality motors and materials mean that, with the proper care, these sex toys can last up to 10 years! Their toys are handmade and created and tested using customer feedback which helps to cut back on wasteful materials because they know exactly what their customers want!
They create a wide variety of sex toys, from handheld thrusters to shareable strapless dildos to vibrators with powerhouse motors. All of their toys are made in different colors and creative shapes, and many of their vibrating options feature travel-locks and high-grade waterproof motors so you can play wherever and however you please.
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Fun Factory also makes Fun Cups, reusable silicone cups for your period similar to the popular Diva Cup, which not only saves users money but also helps reduce waste and helps the planet.
Love Not War
The entire sex
toy line from Love Not War is made from recycled and recyclable materials, down
to the powerful motors. Their designs are thoughtfully curated and, despite
being made of eco-friendly materials, don’t compromise on quality in the
slightest. They’re made with as few materials as possible, using a rechargeable
battery base that can be interchanged with detachable heads, creating multiple
products using just one powerful motor. Their packaging is minimal and natural
including the eco-friendly ink on the label and the eco-friendly glue that holds
the packaging together.
The brand's factory is powered by green energy and set up with timers to limit their use of electricity. Their goal is to be a net-zero facility, and they constantly make changes to lessen their carbon footprint.
Love Not War is not only unique in that their entire collection is sustainable, but they take it even further with their Repair and Recycle program. In this process, the brand commits to repairing your toy should it break unexpectedly even years after owning it. If they’re unable to repair it, they’ll recycle it for you so you don’t have to worry about the hassle of disposing of the toy yourself at your local recycling plant (which many folks avoid altogether due to the complexity and confusion of the process).
 Laska Rabbit Bundle |  Gra Bullet Bundle |  Kama G-Spot Bundle |
Tantus
Since their
creation in 1997, Tantus has prided itself on being a leader in the industry
when it comes to safe and long-lasting materials. All of Tantus’ products are
made with their own unique 100% Ultra Premium Silicone formula, from their insertable squirting dildos to their BDSM gear.
Their premium silicone is eco-friendly, hypoallergenic, phthalate-free, non-toxic, and naturally bacterial resistant. Even the dyes used to color the toys are FDA-approved, making Tantus’ process of quality testing one of the most rigorous in the industry. Tantus’ silicone, when properly taken care of, can last decades, reducing waste and saving consumers money in the long run.
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Chakrubs
Chakrubs are
handcrafted sex toys made from natural crystals derived from Brazil. Crystals
take hundred of years to form but last a very long time once they do. So,
although they aren’t the most renewable resource, these crystals will last you
a lifetime if taken care of properly, especially compared to the shelf-life of
silicone toys which sometimes only last a year depending on the quality of the blend. Chakrubs also has a collection
of toys called The Forest Line, a series of eco-conscious dildos made of wood.
Chakrubs makes regular contributions to eco-friendly and sustainable organizations such as Friends of the Earth International, the Arbor Day Foundation and the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
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Bijoux Indiscrets
Created by Marta
Aguiar and Elsa Viegas in 2006, Bijoux Indiscrets makes erotic accessories and
intimate cosmetics including massage candles, pasties, body jewelry, arousal
gels and more. They also make lightweight bondage harnesses that double as
fashion accessories which are certified vegan and made from recycled materials.
The MAZE harness collection is PETA-approved and made of recycled and
microperforated polyurethane, making it breathable and comfortable while
maintaining the realistic leather look.
On running an environmentally conscious company, co-founder Elsa Viegas said, “Ethics is more than simply obeying the law, it’s all about going further and working towards a better world. It’s going the extra mile. It’s fighting for true parity; caring for the planet and animals; making it a little bit better so that all those “little bits” add up to big change. It’s caring about the details, every ingredient… so we can nurture people without neglecting the planet.”
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Sustainable Sex Toys: Eco-Friendly Lubricant Brands
Being earth-friendly doesn’t stop at toys! There are also plenty of lubricant brands that incorporate eco-conscious practices from their ingredients to their operations and packaging. Most folks go through lube much faster than they cycle through toys, so having eco-friendly and sustainable options to choose from does a lot to help cut down on unnecessary waste.
As stated earlier, when looking for eco-friendly options, you want to look for certain symbols on the packaging, and the same goes for lubricant. You can find symbols that tell you whether the formula is certified organic and free of animal testing, if the packaging is recyclable and even if it’s biodegradable.
Check out this example on the right from one of our favorite lubricant brands, Sliquid:
From left to right, these symbols mean that this Sliquid formula is free of animal testing, certified vegan, expires 12 months after opening, is made in the US and the bottle is recyclable.
Sliquid
Sliquid is
manufactured using recycled bottles and all of their shipping materials, from
the boxes to the filler paper, are also recycled. Offering a pleasurable experience, their formulas that are
mostly plant-based, they use all natural ingredients directly sourced from the earth, including
water and silicone. Their glycerin alternative ingredient, a plant derived cellulose, is
derived from organically sourced cotton fibers.
Their formulas are not only great for the planet, but also great for your body, especially if you're hyper-sensitive to ingredients commonly found in lube such as glycerin and various combining agents.
Sliquid regularly donates to various charities, including many animal rescue organizations and human rights campaigns.
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La Nua
La Nua is a
newer line of lubricant that marries pleasure and wellness by providing
transparency when it comes to their ingredients, which are clean, effective and
simple. These natural ingredients include red algae, aloe vera, lavender oil, ginkgo
leaf extract and more to replace mysterious additives that cause cause irritation and heightened sensitivity.
La Nua goes the extra mile to be sustainable by incorporating earth-friendly materials in their packaging, which features frosted glass bottles with bamboo trim around the pump caps. Both bamboo and glass are premium eco-friendly, sustainable materials that can be recycled and the cute glass bottles can even be reused for other purposes!
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Sutil
Sutil’s lubes have been bestsellers since we began carrying them years ago due to their high-quality formulas, but their earth-friendly facets are just as great as their ingredients! If you want to keep your lubricant as eco-friendly as possible, Sutil is the brand you want to stick with.
They support organic farming and sustainable agriculture by importing organic and wild crafted essential oils from small farms. They use biodegradable tubes for their packaging, their production is environmentally friendly, and their formulas are free of harsh chemicals and parabens. Their products hold COSMOS and Sustainable Palm Oil certifications, ensuring they use processes that respect biodiversity, incorporate a responsible use of natural resources and enable fair working conditions.
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Sustainable Sex Toys: Eco-Friendly Sex Toys
While some companies focus entirely on earth-friendly products in their full collection, others create just one or two items that become their sustainable choice for folks who want to weigh their options. In this way, brands can focus on creating one product that meets eco-conscious guidelines without having to re-design multiple products leading to more unnecessary waste.
Womanizer Eco
The Womanizer Eco is a one-of-a-kind suction toy made from biolene, favored by many women. It’s the first Pleasure Air sex toy made from renewable, biodegradable materials! They basically took their iconic Womanizer Premium and removed as much plastic as they could in order to create a sustainable version that has just as much power and quality.
This unique, recyclable suction sex toy can be completely disassembled into individual parts and features a replaceable rechargeable battery, so you can keep using the same toy without having to buy an entirely new one! The Womanizer Eco even has recycled and recyclable packaging that is 100% plastic free. With every purchase of a Womanizer Eco, the company promises to plant one tree in collaboration with One Tree Planted, a global non-profit reforestation organization.
Womanizer in general is committed to reducing as much waste as possible in their manufacturing processes and implementing more sustainable practices as they continue to grow.
Gaia Vibe
The Gaia Eco Vibe from Blush is made with Biofeel, a plant-based material. The Gaia Eco uses less energy and creates less greenhouse gas emissions than any other toy in the entire pleasure products industry!
This insertable toy’s design is simple, with a twist control on the bottom and a point at the top for direct stimulation. It also comes at an inexpensive price point, great for folks who want to be more environmentally conscious about their purchases without spending too much!
Sustainable Sex Toys: What now?
Now that you're armed with a wealth of knowledge on eco-friendly options in the pleasure products world, you might be wondering what your next steps are. Here's what we recommend:
- Visit your local Pleasure Chest (or message us on Instagram) to talk with a Sex Specialist about finding the right sustainable sex toy for you.
- Continue to seek out eco-friendly toys and brands by paying attention to the symbols on the packaging and even what material the packaging is made of.
- Support sustainable buying options with your purchasing power to show companies that there is a demand for eco-conscious choices in the industry.
- Research earth-friendly disposal practices for getting rid of your previously-loved toys in our So Fresh, So Clean: Toy Care 101 blog.
Now go forth and save the planet, one orgasm at a time!