NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, February 16, 2015

If green is your thing, consider yourself in the golden age of sex products. Condoms, in particular, are in the midst of a sustainable renaissance.

“If it wasn’t a big challenge, then it wouldn’t be much fun.” So says Jeffrey Hollender, founder and ex-leader of Seventh Generation and current co-founder and CEO of sustainable condom company – wait for it – Sustain.

Sustain condoms advertise the company’s responsible sourcing of the rubber to make latex, the Fair Trade-certified facility that manufactures those condoms — with no toxic chemicals in the end product — and the company’s donation of 10 percent of pre-tax profits to women’s health and reproductive services.

Hollender knows a thing or two about getting out in front of big issues, having grown Seventh Generation to $150m in revenues per year while also developing and even creating the market for greener cleaners.

“The challenges [with responsible condoms] are similar to what we saw with Seventh Generation 25 years ago — we’re solving important problems that people don’t know exist,” Hollender says. “People aren’t saying, ‘I’m really concerned about child labor in the condom industry; I’d better buy fair trade.’”

Hollender’s Sustain — which he started with his wife Sheila and his daughter Meika — is addressing that. Sustain has reimagined the process by which condoms are made, emphasizing social, environmental and personal responsibility. Touting B Corp, Fair Trade, Vegan, Non-GMO, FSC, and PETA certifications, Hollender says that Sustain’s model can revamp the condoms supply chain, from tree to … wood.