The chemicals inside traditional glow sticks are toxic. Studies have found that when cells are exposed to used glow sticks they cause an increase in genetic mutations and contribute to cell death - even in tiny concentrations.

To protect us from these dangerous insides, manufacturers use the strongest plastics possible for the casing - making them destined to pollute our oceans and landfills for thousands of years.

There are already major festivals that have banned the use of standard glow sticks because of their known toxic and environmental impacts. Beyond events, we know glow sticks are an essential item for a range  of industries, from military, to emergency relief, to marine. For example, there are over 4.6 million active commercial fishing boats in the world, each using up to 10 000 glow sticks per year. These industries contribute the most to glow stick waste - even though there are viable non-toxic alternatives available. 

Nyoka Design Labs and the Glow Stick Initiative are on a mission to replace the billion toxic plastic chemiluminescent glow sticks that are thrown out every single year. Our goal is to replace all glow sticks with sustainable alternatives.