Green Erotica? Facing The Sex Toy Sector’s Dirty Environmental Secret

Two years ago, a «vibrator cemetery» opened in the city of Castellón, in eastern Spain. The temporary campaign organized by the city council aimed to raise awareness about the fact that, like many other objects, sex toy could also be recycled.

«Everything should be recycled, even a Satisfyer», said Ignasi García, the town councilor in charge of waste management.

The popularity of sex toy has been growing in recent years. In Spain, sales have been rising by double-digit percentages, and half of the population now claims to have used one at least once. Phenomena such as the Satisfyer air-suction toy – so popular that it has almost become a generic term – have made the subject less taboo and normalized the presence of these object in our lives.

But as sex toy purchases increase, so does their waste. After all, these devices have a service life. In the UK alone, the sex toy industry generates 222.9 million tons of waste a year.

Life cycles

People aren’t quite sure how to properly dispose of dead sex toys. While recycling centers often provide a list of the many items they accept — even solvents and X-rays — sex toys are rarely on it. Yet users feel concerned by the issue. And the brands that produce them say there is a growing interest in the environmental footprint of sex toys.

«Today’s consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever, and this trend extends to the products they use in all aspects of their life, including in their intimacy», says Elisabeth Neumann, sexologist and head of User Research at Lovehoney Group. The group has seen «a significant increase in the number of queries and comments related to sustainability».

Because, after all, what are these toys, if not plastic?

What materials are used to make these toys is one of the most frequently asked questions, along with manufacturing processes and recycling, Neumann says. A study by extramarital dating app Gleeden concluded that 75% of sex toy users are concerned about the climate emergency and question what materials are used to make them and how they impact the environment. Because, after all, what are these toys, if not plastic?

Manufacturers share this concern. Although some materials seem unavoidable in terms of hygiene, alternatives and adjustments are being tested to reduce the environmental cost. Eco-friendly erotic toys already exist and use biodegradable or non-animal tested materials. Some stores use labels to differentiate eco toys from regular ones.

Lovehoney Group explains that «sustainable practices can also be integrated throughout the product’s life cycle». Beyond the materials themselves, this means adjusting processes and rethinking designs to reduce the final ecological footprint.

Ignorance and modesty

As we talk more and more about circularity, all this brings us back to the question: Where should all these toys be disposed of?

Most can be — at least partly — recycled. With this more eco-friendly approach, Neumann points out that the company tries to «ensure that all electronic parts can be separated from other materials». Brands are already thinking about how the components can be extracted later to be thrown back into the cycle.

Both ignorance and modesty were barriers to the correct management of this waste

On a pragmatic level, the answer to this question is more complex. In Spain, recycling centers are managed at a municipal level, so the best way to get an answer is to call and ask directly if sex toys can be discarded there. But that leads to another problem: the Castellón campaign showed that both ignorance and modesty were barriers to the correct management of this waste.

Yet sometimes solutions come from the industry itself. «Some manufacturers give specific disposal instructions or have take-back offers», Neumann explains. «It’s always a good idea to check the packaging or the company’s website for more information».

Furthermore, some of these new eco-friendly sex toys not only are easier to disassemble and separate parts, they also simplify the process of throwing them away. Some products are made from biolene, a biodegradable material designed to be disposed of in ordinary household trash, which is burned to generate electricity. So after producing pleasure, your sex toys can produce energy.

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This content is part of a collaboration agreement of ‘WorldCrunch’, with the magazine ‘Ethic’. Read the original at this link.