What kind of rubber are Kong dog toys made from?
Kongs are from a natural rubber. There are two main types of rubber: natural, from a rubber tree; and synthetic. There are many types of synthetic rubber, the most popular being styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). Other types include isoprene, butadiene, ethylene-propylene, butyl, chloroprene and nitrile rubber. Dog toys and other rubber products may contain a blend of synthetic rubber types. Kongs are thick rubber toys with a hole in the middle to hide treats, peanut butter, medicine and other edibles. Both natural and synthetic rubbers must be processed into a usable form. If you prefer natural rubber for your dog toys, look at the label—the company will probably tout the toy’s “100 percent natural rubber” content. Synthetic rubber dog toys will be more common because there are limits on what natural rubber can be used for.