The Good (Environmentally Friendly) Sex Guide

Condom care

This is one area where the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra comes unstuck, unfortunately. Flushing used condoms down the loo is also a no-no: they clog pipes, treatment plants and rivers. In the bin it is, then.

The kinks

Pay attention, fetishists: the production of PVC creates and releases one of the most toxic chemicals – dioxin. Stick to natural stuff instead, like leather and rubber.

Do it in the dark

Reducing our reliance on electricity is vital in combating climate change. If you want to see your partner, or what you’re doing, make love during daylight hours (but remember to close the curtains).

Bamboozling

Bamboo bed sheets may sound a little far-fetched, but not only are they silky, absorbent and antimicrobial, they also come from one of the most rapidly renewable sources there is: bamboo is the world’s fastest growing woody plant.

Herbal buzz

Oysters may be considered a potent aphrodisiac, but our planet’s oceans have already been over-plundered. Try guaraná instead: the seeds of this Amazonian plant, grown by sustainable community-based projects, stimulate the central nervous system to give you a real buzz (and you won’t even need any batteries).  Other sin-free sexual stimulants include ginseng, ginko biloba, and the aptly-named horny goat weed.

Roll in the hay

Protect your posterior from chemical weedkillers and pesticides by switching to organic products in your garden before going for a roll in the hay: they’re better for your lawn AND your al fresco lovemaking.

Hanky-spanky

Fancy indulging in a little School Mistress role play? Make sure that paddle is crafted from sustainably harvested timber before you apply it to your partner’s bottom, you kinky beast, you...

Fruity!

Before you go re-enacting certain scenes from 9½ weeks (you know the ones), check the fruit and veg you’ll be having fun with is GM-free.

Eco-undies

Organic cotton, hemp silk and bamboo fibres make super-slinky lingerie – and they all come from rapidly renewable sources.

Green sex clubs

Yep, you read it right: a growing number of sex clubs in Japan are now championing environmentalism. Tactics range from shunning the traditional disposable wooden chopsticks to creating a life-sized rabbit mannequin for practising S&M rope-tying techniques entirely out of recycled pillows.

Play it safe

A rapidly expanding human population is the single greatest contributor to global warming. If you’re not ready to add to that population just yet, make sure you play it safe and use protection.

Tie the knot in eco-style

If all went well in the bedroom and you’re ready to take the ultimate step, why not have a green wedding? Courtesy of progressive wedding planners, environmentally conscious couples can now opt for fair-trade coffee and locally grown flowers, or even offset their honeymoon-flight carbon emissions.  

Make love, not war

‘nuff said.