Unexpected Ways to Go Green

Greening the Sex Toy Industry

When 29-year-old Alliyah Mirza graduated from law school in 2007 with a degree in Environmental and Natural Resources Law, she wasn't considering a career in the adult novelty industry. Yet, just two years later, she's the owner of an eco-friendly sex toy company, Earth Erotics.

"My curiosity about the vast array of new and green consumer products eventually led me to start looking into my own sex toy collection. After doing some research on sex toys, I discovered that sex toys and sex toy materials are not properly regulated for consumer safety by the U.S. government," Mizra says. "They're considered 'novelties' or 'gag gifts' under the law. Little consideration is given to the fact that these toys are being used by millions of consumers in the most absorbent parts of the body. Many sex toys on the market contain high levels of phthalates, which are a controversial PVC softener that has been linked to cancers and other negative health effects."

Mirza's company doesn't sell toys made from PVC, containing phthalates or made from secret or undisclosed materials. Instead, her company's toys are made from 100 percent medical grade silicone. Her whips are made from recycled inner tubes, and her lubricants are made from hemp oil and other organic ingredients. "I think it is important for consumers to buy green sex toys for the assurance that what they are buying is natural, nontoxic and will make them feel good in more ways than one!"