by Taylor Berry 

Summer is the perfect time to go green: the flowers are in bloom, you can bike to work, and there are handsome men along with local veggies coming out at farmer’s markets.  And what better place to go au naturel than in the bedroom?  We consider the impact we have on the environment everywhere else, but sustainability doesn’t often come up in discussions of sex.  Here’s a quick guide on how to make your sex life greener.

Do condoms right:

Latex condoms are made of rubber and will biodegrade, but condoms have to be disposed of properly (i.e. throw them in the trash, don’t flush them).  The Ocean Conservancy revealed in 2006 that improperly disposed of condoms littered the coral reefs, and animals can mistake them for food and ingest them.  Buying condoms in bulk cuts down on packaging waste, so that’s a good idea if you favour the larger brands.  

      Lambskin condoms are much more easily biodegradable than latex, but they are only for prevention of pregnancy because they don’t protect against STDs.  Because of this, I would only recommend them for the monogamous earth-loving couple.  For vegans, you can try Glyde condoms, flavoured with organic fruit and nut extracts—yum. 

Get a more natural lube:

Petroleum jelly lubes like Vaseline are fossil-fuel based, for one, and can’t be used with condoms without risk of breakage, so ditch them in favour of something way sexier, like Monsieur Capotain’s Premium Organic Lube.  It’s glycerine-free, paraben-free and 98% organic, plus you can even recycle the aluminum packaging.  It doesn’t get much greener than that.  You can find Monsieur Capotain’s at Good for Her (175 Harbord). 

Pick a greener sex toy:

Many vibrators and dildos contain phthalates, chemicals used to soften hard plastics.  There’s a lot of concern about health risks surrounding phthalates, including their potential to leech chemicals and change hormone levels in high doses, so keep that garbage away from your junk.  Instead, why not buy a hard-plastic, rechargeable vibrator if that’s what you’re in the market for?  Or, buy a made-in-Canada aluminum or wood dildo at Good for Her; they may look like pieces of art but they’re really still for doin’ it.

Now turn off the air-conditioning and the lights.

Fuck central air; play with some ice when you and your partner want to cool off.  Mmm, summertime.