Can condoms really be sustainable?
Studies have found condom sales increase by 70% during Valentine’s Day. As Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, what should we consider when it comes to material, origin and disposal?
Condoms provides safer sex and 99% protection against unwanted pregnancies. According to researchers a human being produces 7 tonnes of co2 per year. From this point of view, condoms are super sustainable! Jokes aside, we have summarised what factors play a role in sustainability and what you should consider when buying and disposing of condoms.
Ingredients and origin – Does natural equal sustainable?
Condoms are usually made of natural rubber, which is obtained from the latex sap of the rubber tree. The botanical name of our Fair Squared fair trade natural rubber tree is Hevea Brasiliensis and they only grow in certain tropical regions of the world. Fair Squared obtains the rubber for our condoms from India and Thailand, which is all fair trade.
When it comes to sustainability, the main focus is on the cultivation conditions and processing: the cultivation of natural rubber is often associated with human rights violations and deforestation. For a long time there was no way to certify the raw material to guarantee socially and ecologically fair cultivation conditions.
In 2012, Fair Squared was involved with the founding of Fair Rubber eV (www.fairrubber.org), the well-known and proven certification scheme was transferred from fair trade tea plantations to plantation for natural rubber. We ensure fair payment and improved working and living conditions for latex tappers and their families thanks to the fair-trade premium. We also guarantee responsible use of resources and protection of the environment.
Plastic packaging?
The packaging of condoms is regulated by law in Europe. They are classified as a class IIB medical device. Contamination must be avoided and the condoms are packed in an airtight manner to ensure they have a shelf life of 5 years. No condom can be sold without a description of use, which results in two packages. The outer packaging made of cardboard with the corresponding product information. The condom itself individually packaged in the condom foil, which usually consists of three layers: plastic-aluminium-plastic. Fair Squared is now using a new film that has replaced a plastic film layer with a paper film. This reduces the plastic content by more than 40%. In addition, the cardboard packaging is fully recyclable, since no synthetic colours or glossy prints are used at all.
Disposal – Not in compost!
Natural rubber is 100% biodegradable and doesn’t harm the environment! However, most condoms worldwide are additionally coated with silicone oil as a lubricant to make insertion more comfortable. There are currently no natural alternative to this, as water-based lubricant would largely diffuse out of the film after a short time (around 6 months). As a sustainable alternative, Fair Squared has come up with the Sensitive Dry Condoms. They are a dry condom with a corn powder coating. These condoms are biodegradable and users can decide individually which kind of lubricant and how much they would like to use.
What bin should you dispose of condoms in? For lubricated condoms, residual waste. This is due to the silicone oil not being able to biodegrade, therefore making the condom non-recyclable. Although natural rubber is biodegradable, it is not compostable. Biodegradable means that the material can be decomposed by microorganisms. Compostable means that a material is suitable for making compost. Condoms are not suitable for composting as used condoms can attract animals, which can harm them if eaten. Fair Squared Sensitive Dry has fully degradable materials. However, it takes too long to fully decompose to meet the requirements for organic waste. If you care about animals and the environment, pay attention to the vegan certification of condoms. Some condom manufacturers use casein during production, which is an animal milk protein. Fair Squared condoms are all vegan and not tested on animals.
So, can condoms really be sustainable? Yes! When purchasing condoms, pay attention to fair trade rubber, vegan seal, recyclable paper packaging and dispose of it properly, then nothing stands in the way of sustainable lovemaking!