An adult averages 54 times per year of sex. We don’t live in an average time. The COVID-19 restrictions, lockdown measures, and the mental health implications of being kept in quarantine for several months have had a significant impact on people’s sexual lives. While some people have chosen to be celibate, others are enjoying more sex and buying more products to enhance their time in the bed. What does excessive consumption have to do with sustainability and the environment?
Is the Pandemic Having an Impact on Sex?
Some people are not interested in sexual activity. Some people, whether they are single or in a couple, have given up on sex. This could be due to a variety of factors, including more childcare responsibilities and work-related stress. Low libido can also be caused by pandemic-related anxiety. Don’t panic if this is you. Healthline Sarah Melancon PhD, clinical sexologist, and sociologist, said that “not being interested in sexual activity during a global crisis” But, if you find sex enjoyable and/or an act of self-care or escapism, that’s also perfectly normal. You’re not the only one. Actually, overall sales of sucking toys for men are on the rise.
Why are Sex Toy & Lingerie Sales so High?
The dating scene changed dramatically after lockdown restrictions were implemented and stay-at home orders issued. It is now possible to meet another person for a casual hook-up.
You can have sex with anyone if you live in a bubble or are cohabiting. If this is not the case, how can a person handle sex while they are locked in their house for the foreseeable future. There are several options. There are a few options. You could try virtual sex or indulge in self-pleasure.
The global sex market for sex toys was worth more than $33 million in 2020. It is expected to grow at an 8.04 percent compound annual growth rate between 2021 and 2028. This growth is due to a variety of factors, including social media and its increasing acceptance (and subsequent popularity!) of sexual wellness. A major role has been played by the pandemic. Individuals, regardless of whether they are married or single, have more time to experiment.
Lingerie sales also increased. Instead of declining after Valentine’s Day, they have remained stable or increased between March-May. Todd Mick, an innerwear analyst at market research company NPD, said that lingerie is more popular than ever, regardless of whether it’s worn with a partner, Zoom dates or for self-pleasure. He said The New York Times that he believes sexy lingerie was self-care.
How to give your sexual life a sustainable upgrade
You can have a fulfilling and enjoyable sex life with sexual wellness products. There are options that you can make to be more sustainable if you are conscious of their environmental impact. Continue reading to learn more about eco-friendly options like sustainable, vegan sex toys and lingerie.
Vegan condoms are also available.
Vegan Condoms
A condom can be used to protect against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Planned parenthood says that condoms are only 85 percent effective. This is because condoms are not perfect. If everyone used condoms perfectly all the time, they would only be about 98% effective.
Condoms are a great way to keep sex safe. Condoms have one problem: They are often made with preservatives, stabilizers and hardening agents. Many aren’t vegan. This is because of the dairy-derived casein that is added to the product as a softener.
There are many vegan, natural, and biodegradable options available, such as Hanx. Hanx condoms are designed to stand out against other beauty and lifestyle products. Hanx wants customers to feel proudly display their Hanx boxes in the bathroom alongside their skincare products and other essentials.
The brand is not only proud of its product’s aesthetic, but also deeply cares about sustainability. Hanx does not use casein. Instead, Dr. Sarah Welsh, co-founder, explained to LIVEKINDLY that Hanx uses a plant extract to improve the product’s smoothness. She explained that it was an easy decision to develop condoms and lube that are gentle, vegan, ethical and cruelty-free, and can be used by most people.
“HANX Fair Rubber condoms can be disposed of in your household waste or compost. They will decompose normally under the influence light and oxygen after approximately 3 months.” She added. All our HANX outer cardboard boxes are recyclable, and our lube bottles made from recycled, recyclable plastic.”
Hanx is committed to improving sustainability in this sector, and she notes that condoms are wrapped in foil at the moment for freshness. She said, “Watch this space.” “We’re [reviewing] options that reduce our carbon footprint, and innovations in packaging that conform to medical device standards.”
Another brand offering sustainable and vegan condoms is Einhorn, based in Berlin. It also has a mission of making buying protection easier and more accessible. The products come in a unique potato chip-like bag. 50 percent of Einhorn’s profits are used to pay its workers 15% above the minimum wage, find alternatives to agricultural chemicals, and create environmentally friendly packaging.
Jonny, a brand based in Australia, offers ultra-thin condoms which are vegan and palm oil-free. Non-toxic, eco-friendly, as well as non-toxic. Condoms by Jonny are made of non-latex, not plastic. Jonny condoms are made from a non-medicated natural latex.
Buff condoms are also available. All condoms will be available on Indiegogo in the coming months. They are all vegan and compostable and made specifically for women. This is the first time a condom brand has marketed its products in this manner. Rosy Candin, founder of the company, told Dazed Digital that she has friends who are not-binary and felt it would be a distressing experience for them. I looked everywhere to find gender-neutral condoms, but couldn’t find any. So I decided to make my own .”
Hanx, Einhorn and Buff aren’t the only ones who use vegan condoms. Other brands include Glyde and Sir Richards.
No matter what brand or product you use, condoms can be more sustainable if they are not flushed down the toilet. They can blockages and can be a problem for marine life, if not removed in time. If possible, you should recycle the packaging and wrap the condom in tissue before putting it in the trash.
While some lubes may contain animal products, many are cruelty-free or vegan. Good Clean Love
Cruelty Free Lube
Lube can sometimes contain animal products like beeswax and animal-derived enzymes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), regulations in the United States allow for widespread animal testing.
The FDA mandated safety testing of lubricants in mammalian animals in 2015 because it was classified as a Class 2 medical device. This is because it can be used for conditions such as vaginal dryness and for gynecological exams. The FDA requires the testing to determine if there are any irritations or adverse reactions.
Many disagree with the necessity of these tests. After the announcement of the new regulations, Good Clean Love, a women’s hygiene brand and sexual wellness brand, worked tirelessly with PETA to convince the FDA to allow its animal-free testing methods.
They believe other tests, such as those using cultured human cells, are more reliable than animal tests.
Wendy Strgar, CEO and founder of Good Clean Love, told Forbes in 2016 that “There is no other species in the kingdom that has the exact same type of vagina as humans.” Animal testing does not even give us information about toxicity. This is the most tragic and stupid part of all .”
2017 was the first year that the FDA accepted human skin tests to determine if there were any allergic reactions or irritations. All of the products, including feminine hygiene and aphrodisiacs, are now animal-tested.
However, the FDA is still in the fight for personal lubricant products. Good Clean Love doesn’t have any current information on the FDA’s progress.
According to the latest update, its website states: “None our products contain animal byproducts. No Good Clean Love feminine hygiene products or aphrodisiacs are tested on animals. Personal lubricants being FDA-regulated medical devices, there are currently four animal testing required to be FDA-cleared .”
There are many vegan and cruelty-free lubes available outside the United States. Hanx also produces vegan lube. Deluxe Gleitfreude Vegan Organic Lube and Sliquid’s Lubricants are cruelty-free. Ann Summers also offers cruelty-free lube options such as JO Organic Lube .
Sustainable Lingerie
Lingerie can have many benefits, including self-esteem and sexiness. There is one problem: Most underwear is produced in fast fashion. This sector of fashion is known for exploitation of workers,encouraging excessive wasteful consumption, and draining the planet’s natural resources.
Fashion production, which accounts for 10 percent of carbon emissions, consumes an estimated 1.5 trillion liters annually of water, and produces a lot of waste, is estimated to use approximately 1.5 trillion liters annually. It is estimated that PS140 million of clothing goes to landfill each year in the UK. Many of the clothing is not biodegradable.
Underwear often contains synthetic materials such as nylon and polyester. These fabrics are not great for all vaginas. These fabrics are not breathable and trap heat which can cause a greater risk of yeast infections. These materials are not easy to break down. Biodegradation of nylon and polyester can take 20 to 200 years.
There are many sustainable lingerie brands available that can help you get in the mood. Pact offers this Barely there Lace Thong made with organic cotton. This fabric saves 3.9 gallons, according to Pact. The brand claims that cotton is breathable and better for your neoteric regions. Brook also has an Organic Lingerie line, which is cut in the U.S.A. and sewn in the UK by Gilda & Pearl, who are committed making ethical lingerie that uses sustainable, biodegradable fabrics.
Glamour spoke with Diane Houston, Gilda & Pearl’s founder about sustainability in the underwear industry. She stated that the industry has emphasized affordability over quality in recent years. Fast fashion em> has been driven by the ability to produce clothes quickly and cheaply, without regard for ethical or environmental consequences.
She maintains that things are changing slowly. “After recent efforts to highlight the environmental impacts of a consumerist cultural, such as TV specials on climate and unrelenting and commendable media coverage, shoppers are starting to prioritize longevity over price,”she said.
Vegan Sex Toys
The sex toys market is massive, as we have already mentioned. It is also significant that vegan sex toys are available. It has not made any progress in minimizing its environmental impact, despite growing market share. Many sex toys are made from plastic, even vegan sex toys. It takes hundreds of years for plastic to biodegrade.
There are many eco-friendly options. The Blush Novelties’ Gaia range vibrators are the first to be biodegradable. They are made from BioFeel, which is a plant-based bioplastic that can be recycled and composted. You can order them directly from the website or at Babeland, the sex giant. This store also stocks eco-friendly options like the Solar Bullet Vibrator. Although it is made of plastic, its power source is completely renewable: the sun. The company claims that the vibrator can run for an hour on eight hours of sunlight.
Leaf+ offers four eco-friendly vibrator options. They are rechargeable so they can last a long time. They are also made of silicone. Silicone is durable and recyclable. Although silicone is not perfect and it is not biodegradable it is still more sustainable than other plastics. Silicone doesn’t break down into small pieces, making it more eco-friendly and ocean-friendly. There are many silicone options available on Babeland’s site, as well as major UK sex toys retailers Ann Summers or Lovehoney.
You can recycle plastic toys made of non-vegan or vegan sex toys if you have them. Lovehoney has a guide on how to do this. It will accept any old sex toys that have been purchased elsewhere to be recycled by the company. It states that items sent to Lovehoney will be taken to a designated collection center where they will be recycled and treated in an environmentally sound manner.