New Zealand’s Adulttoymegastore announced it has taken a step to reduce its plastic waste by switching its packaging from bubble wrap and hard-to-recycle materials to completely recyclable and compostable ones.
Adulttoymegastore said the new sustainable packaging is a first in the adult toy industry in New Zealand and possibly Australia. Owner Nicola Relph said the move was a big step, but she was proud to take it.
“We wanted to walk the talk and show that even when sending out thousands of packages a day, all around the world, you can still do the right thing and put the planet before profit,” Relph said.
“We’re also looking to be the first adult retailer in Australasia, and potentially the world, to set up an adult toy recycling programme,” she said. “We want to lead the way, as New Zealand businesses often do, to make a difference.”
The adult toy retailer has teamed up with NZ-owned and operated R3pack, which supplies them with compostable courier bags that are both home and commercially compostable.
The materials are made from cornstarch PLA, a renewable and sustainable resource, which is grown and harvested in one season, and other biodegradable materials such as PBAT, a biodegradable thermoplastic.
The sex-toy business offers more than 14,000 products and delivers more than 1500 packages a day around the world. The retailer’s 3500sqm warehouse is one of the largest warehouses in the sector.
When the trial for the new packaging was rolled out in October, 96 per cent of Adulttoymegastore’s customers said they noticed the new packaging.
Eighty-four per cent of those who answered the company’s survey said they cared that the packaging was now environmentally friendly. Of those, 65 per cent said they loved the new packaging and 25 per cent said they liked it.
Adulttoymegastore has since used the Geami Eco Wrap which is made from sustainable forestry paper.
“At the end of its use, it is fully recyclable and compostable providing two solutions for the end user,” the company said.
According to the retailer, the recyclable and compostable packaging does cost more than their standard packaging but they are choosing to absorb the cost.
“Our goal in 2020 is to become more sustainable,” an Adulttoymegastore spokesperson said.
“It’s important to us and our customers, so the cost is something we will accept without passing that on.”
