Target to Sell ‘Sustainable’ Condoms

Photo of sustain condoms provided.

Ladies: We buy pesticide-free produce, put kale in everything, and even use non-toxic tampons. But what about the other item we put in our bodies?

Sustain Condoms, a line of non-toxic, Fair Trade Certified condoms being marketed to women, is launching at Target this week. Cofounded by Jeffrey Hollender, who was also the cofounder of Vermont-based green cleaning product company Seventh Generation—he left the company in 2010—Sustain will now be sold in 200 Target locations across 31 states nationwide.

Together with his daughter, Meika Hollender, the duo launched the product with the goal of “empowering women to take control of their sexual health, and to make products that are better for people using them and better for the planet,” according to company reps. Basically, it’s about removing the stigma—and embarrassment—that women of all ages sometimes face when buying condoms.

“We’re incredibly proud to be taking on the issues of sustainability with regard to sexual health and condom usage, and we want people to know that there’s a more natural alternative when it comes to practicing safe sex,” Jeffrey Hollender said in a statement. “Some 40 [percent] of condom buyers are women, and together with my cofounder and daughter Meika, we hope to inspire more women to purchase and carry condoms with confidence, and to help change mindsets about sustainability and condoms and sexual health. As we set out on this important journey, we’re thrilled to be launching Sustain at some of the country’s most respected retailers including Target, where many women prefer to shop for their personal care products.”

Sustain Condoms are sustainably produced, according to company reps, using natural, certified Fair Trade rubber from a multigenerational, family-run farm in India.

According to Sustain:

There are no detectable levels of nitrosamines in Sustain Condoms, a carcinogen that can be formed during the condom manufacturing process. Every condom is individually electronically tested, vegan certified, free of dyes, fragrances, spermicides, and odor-blocking agents, is sustainably produced, and its packaging is made from recycled, post-consumer content. The way Sustain’s rubber is grown, harvested and manufactured is gentler on the earth.

Sustain’s plantation is the only producer of latex for condoms that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified for environmental sustainability. Sustain’s manufacturing plant has been owned and operated by one family for three generations. The workers are paid a living wage, three times the minimum wage in India.

Sustain Condoms come in a bright turquoise packaging and have three varieties available for purchase: Lubricated Ultra Thin, Tailored Fit, and Comfort Fit and are available in packs of three ($3.79) and ten ($9.99).