As an environmental studies major and the author of this sex column, I think I have found the most awesome thing: green sex! I know, I know, there’s that word again: “green.”

Many people are sick of it, especially when it’s only used as a marketing ploy or plastered on something that isn’t environmentally friendly or sustainable. And paired with sex—how can sex be more environmentally friendly?

The company is Scarlet Girl based in Portland with another location in the San Francisco Bay Area. Similar to Pure Romance, this company employs consultants who throw “pleasure par- ties” all across the country and it sells online. What makes it different is its “green practices.”

It does all the expected sustainable actions a company would do. It uses electronic means when accept- able, recycles paperwork with no sensitive information (shreds and recycles the rest) and reuses any kind of boxes for shipment. It even gathers and donates phones to domestic abuse prevention organizations.

But there’s something that makes this company really stand out. Scarlet Girl recycles sex toys, and it is the only adult company to do so. Portlandia episode, any- one? It sounds awful and unsanitary, but it’s not what first comes to mind. The toys are not reused. Rather, they are broken down in a method developed by an environmental engineer and recycled by OSHA and EPA regulations.

They also provide toys that are more eco-friendly, such as a solar powered bullet, a hand powered vibrator and various rechargeable toys. There are also vegan and water- based lubricants.

For customers who want to be greener, there are recommended alternatives to birth control and safe sex.

The hormones from hormonal birth control are released into waterways by urine, a contributor to excess estrogen in the environment.

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are an alternative because they use fewer hormones than the pill, patch or ring during a long period of time.

Condoms are another option to reduce hormones in the body and released into the environment, but they create waste.
Besides the traditional condoms, there are a few other options that are veg- an, hypoallergenic and bio- degradable, but each has a trade-off that must be considered. For example, lamb- skin condoms are natural but they are obviously not vegan, and do not protect against STDs.

Kourtney Bailey

Sex Columnist

Kourtney Bailey can be reached at [email protected]