Mindfulness And Sustainable Thinking In Sex

To receive the Luxiders newsletter, sign up here.

Climate change is a big issue, and we address it in many aspects of our life, from measuring our carbon footprint, to recycling and being as zero-waste as possible in our daily lives. But what we may not consider, is that our sex life many times is not very sustainable. 

The global Sexual Wellness Market is expected to reach 125.1 billion dollars by 2026. The industry is huge, but is mainly made out of plastic-based products. From non eco- friendly condoms, to battery operated sex toys, all the way to the sheets we buy and the porn sites we browse. If like us, you are trying to lead a more sustainable life, here are some tips to take sustainability to your bed. 

CONDOMS 

Condoms are the most used product during sex, but the majority of them are made of non-recyclable latex and contain casein, an animal protein added to make them softer. Even though they can not be recycled, they are still better than having an unwanted child or an unwanted sexually transmitted disease. So, when picking what condom to buy, you might want to look for the most sustainable alternative. There are condoms in the market made out of fair-trade rubber, and with recyclable paper packaging. Just take some extra time to look for the best option that suits your sustainable goals!

The most important thing when using condoms is that, even though they are not recyclable, latex is made out of rubber,  a natural material, so technically they are degradable. Just make sure of wrapping them in paper and putting them in the trash for disposal. There are no studies made yet to tell how long it takes for condoms to degrade, so do not flush them down the toilet. 

LUBRICANTS

The global value of personal use of lubricants was estimated at 894 million dollars in 2018, and a research shows that is projected to grow at a pace of 8.1% per year until 2026. Lubricants have become a popular sexual wellness product, but many of the options in the market are based of petroleum and full of chemicals, which can lead to water waste and oil spills. The first step for us would be to pick non-petroleum based lubricants, and go fo the sustainable choices. There are natural options such as aloe-vera, coconut oil and agar-agar; but keep in mind that oil-based lubricants can break latex based condoms. Luckily for us, there are many sustainable companies that produce eco-friendly lubricants alternatives.  

Eco-friendly lubricants are often water-based, and unlike the regular ones you can find in the market they are organic and produce as less waste as possible. In contraposition with the natural options that are oil-based, water-based lubricants do not interfere with the latex from the condoms. 

SEX TOYS CAN ALSO BE SUSTAINABLE 

The first step to take when choosing your next sex toy will be to check how it is powered: always try to invest in a rechargeable device, but if it is battery operated, switch to rechargeable batteries. Keep in mind the material it is made of too, there are plenty of eco-friendly options, from bioplastic, polished wood, glass, ceramic and steel are some of them. Plastic-free sex toys have been around for thousands of years, maybe it is time that we reignite that candle to help save the environment.

LINGERIE 

Choosing lingerie is a very important and many times hard task to overcome. But, much like our fashion choices, we can try and go for the sustainable options. In this article, we have summoned up some great and sexy sustainable options for you. As well as lingerie, you might want to choose sustainable bed sheets, there are plenty of options in the market. 

ADDRESSING THE PORN INDUSTRY

We have all seen the news in the past, many of the wide spread best known porn sites have faced sues over human trafficking in the last couple of years. Finding ethical and legitimate content is hard to find online, but there are some websites, like XConfessions that provide films, behind the scenes and interviews with the actors at a reasonable cost; or Bellesa, a self described feminist porn site that offers ethical free porn. Finding ethical content, that does not involve the suffering of others can be quite problematic, but it is out there. 

Now you know, and whether you choose to start by buying sustainable condoms, eco-friendly sex toys or lubricants, or by redirecting your searches for ethical content, every steps matter. To take sustainability to your bed in a more comfortable manner, start by picking the issues that are more important to you personally, to achieve a more lasting compromise with sustainability.