to our customers,” said owner operator Nicola Relph. Customers can now send their electronic, glass and metal products back to the company’s warehouse in Wellington in exchange for a $10 credit, provided the product was originally purchased from Adult Toy Megastore. “Obviously intimate products like sex toys can carry bacteria if not cleaned properly, so it’s important that the sender follows our guidelines by sterilising the product and sealing it in a zip lock bag before sending it to us,” Relph told Inside Retail. “Once received at our warehouse, hygiene precautions are taken by our team that receives the products. Gloves and a face covering are worn before opening products received through our recycling programme and if a product doesn’t look clean, it will immediately be disposed of in its sealed bag.” The products that are suitable for recycling are put through the warehouse’s UV LED sterilising system, before the Adult Toy Megastore sends it to its recycling partner to be stripped and recycled. “The recyclers we have partnered with will take health and safety measures when stripping the materials, and will dispose of the parts that do not currently have a recycling solution safely,” Relph said. Batteries and circuit boards are collected and shipped to South Korea where the reusable materials are recycled and hazardous substances are ethically and safely disposed of. “Depending on the grade of the circuit board, it may be sent to Umicore, a global materials technology and recycling group in Belgium that aims to reduce harmful emissions and works with hundreds of organisations around the world to provide sustainable solutions,” said Natasha Bull, Adulttoymegastore’s manager of the recycling program. Bull said products featuring metal such as ball bearings and motors are collected and shipped in bulk to Germany where they are extracted, sorted, pressed into bales, smelted down and reformed. Last year, Adult Toy Megastore switched its packaging from bubble wrap and hard-to-recycle materials to compostable courier bags that are both home and commercially compostable, supplied by the company’s partner, R3pack. 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. Finding sustainable solutions amid rising demand Demand for sex toys have skyrocketed through the roof for many adult retailers since Covid hit and Adult Toy Megastore is no exception. According to a study the business commissioned UMR to conduct, last year, 43 per cent of of New Zealanders above the age of 18 had bought an adult toy last year. “Our sales tripled as a result of increased demand from Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and remained elevated until May 2020,” Relph said. “Since then, we have seen a 30 per cent increase in sales in New Zealand compared to pre-Covid figures, and we believe this is because more people have realised the importance of sexual wellness for overall health and wellbeing.” Recently, sex toy retailers in the industry have begun offering more sustainable options for environmentally-aware consumers. Earlier this year, UK-based retailer Lovehoney launched an eco-friendly range of lingerie made from recycled seamless fabrics. It also partnered with sustainable luxury sex toy specialists Love Not War and created a range of 100% recyclable vibrators made from recycled aluminium. Meanwhile, vegan condoms are now available from brands such as Jonny, Glyde and Lelo. “Recycling sex toys isn’t easy due to the nature of the products, and we have yet to find a solution for silicone and ABS, but our plan and goal is to be able to recycle and ethically dispose of every sex toy material we sell,” Relph said. “That, we believe, will help us to become a more sustainable business and reduce our carbon footprint.”