Sustainable Sex Toys

What Are Sustainable Sex Toys?

Sustainable sex toys are the greenest pleasure products around and they are on a mission to make your sex life eco-friendly! While we focus on sustainability in our homes and diets, few consider the environmental impact of intimacy. But with nearly half of UK adults owning a sex toy, the industry’s carbon footprint is massive.

Millions of discarded toys, 128 million used condoms, and countless empty lube bottles contribute to a staggering 222 million tonnes of sex waste yearly. Landfills are filling up with redundant rampant rabbits and plastic packaging, but don’t fear. With sustainable sex toys comes sustainable pleasure!

We’ve invested in our reusable coffee cups and we’ve mastered the art of remembering a bag for life when we hit the shops (well most of the time). Our sex lives are no different. A couple of substitutions here and there and bingo; guilt free passion awaits. Opting for rechargeable, non-toxic, and recyclable sex toys made from body-safe silicone, glass, wood or stainless steel is the first step to lowering your sexual carbon footprint.  

Glass dildos, wooden dildos and metal cock rings are all bestselling sustainable toys that don’t compromise the planet or your pleasure!

Best Materials for Sustainable Sex Toys 

Let’s take a look at the best eco-friendly sex toy materials and how they are helping to save our planet one sex toy at a time.

Medical Grade Silicone 

Silicone sex toys such as silicone dildos and vibrators, are non-porous and long lasting meaning sex toys made from silicone last much longer than those made from cheaper materials like jelly rubber or PVC. This reduces waste and the frequency of replacements. Unlike jelly or PVC plastics, silicone doesn’t release harmful chemicals making it a safer choice for both people and the planet.

Silicone is also more energy efficient to produce. Because it requires fewer chemicals, it creates less pollution meaning it has a smaller environmental impact than other plastic materials.

Glass and Stainless Steel

Glass and metal sex toys have five very specific green qualities:

1. Extremely Durable & Long-Lasting: Meaning sex toys made from either material should last a lifetime and this means less waste as it reduces the need for frequent replacements.
2. 100% Recyclable: Both glass and metal are fully recyclable—even when it’s time to say goodbye, they can go straight into your household recycling.
3. Non-Toxic & Chemical-Free: Free from harmful chemicals such as phthalates, glass and metal are safer for your body as well as the environment. Best of all these materials don’t break down into microplastics that pollute ecosystems.
4. Energy Efficiency in Production: While their initial production requires energy, their ability to be recycled endlessly makes them more sustainable in the long run compared to other types of plastic-based materials.
5. Easy to Clean & Maintain: Simple but effective, the fact that these materials are non-porous makes them super easy to clean. This means they don’t require any harsh chemical cleaners.

Wooden Sex Toys

Wooden sex toys such as wooden dildos and wooden anal beads, are a natural and sustainable choice. When harvested responsibly from renewable sources, wood has a much lower environmental impact compared to plastic-based materials. Wooden toys are sealed with body safe resins to prevent splintering and to make the wood non-porous. Additionally, wooden toys are biodegradable. This means they break down naturally over time, which in turn reduces landfill waste.

Top Tips For Eco Friendly Sex 

Sustainable sex toys are just one way to go green. There are lots of other areas of your sex life that can be made more eco-friendly.

Consider these environmentally conscious factors for guilt free fun.

• Quality not quantity. This can be applied to many aspects of life and your sex life should be no different. Quality items last longer, tend not to break and therefore are greener.
• Lose the batteries and switch to rechargeable sex toys. No batteries, no nasty chemicals to dispose of.
• Turn the lights out. If you want ambient lighting go for an organic bees wax candle or solar powered fairy lights; far more romantic.
• You don’t need to be a vegan to use a vegan condom. The Glyde range of condoms are 100% plant based so they are compostable. Even if they do end up in landfill they will break down over time without releasing any nasty chemicals.
• Avoid buying from big businesses and support small. Businesses such as passionbugs are far less harmful to the environment. We don’t have huge warehouses, we don’t have big offices and all our friendly customer service staff work from home. We use the lowest carbon footprint couriers and all our energy is green.

Frequently Asked Questions