Why Using Sex Toys, Watching Porn, and Going Green Is an Easy Fit

By Liz Langley, AlterNet. Posted February 13, 2009.

Dildos made of earth-friendly materials like glass, metal and wood are also finding more interest, Doan says. "At first, people looked at those and thought they were more novelty and art objects," but they've "become much more popular. And they're beautiful." She mentions the "Fling," a hand-carved toy "that's good for G-spotting or using in the butt for the prostate, and it's made of sustainable hard woods and has an organic varnish on it that's body safe -- they really are just gorgeous looking as well."

You can dress for sex in a way your Mother Earth would approve of as well, with eco-friendly companies like Enamore, which makes clothing and lingerie from fabrics like bamboo jersey and hemp and has a super-sexy '40s pinup flare you just don't think of when you think green. (Admit it: You still think gauze skirts and deodorant crystals that don't work, don't you?)

Earth Erotics boasts phthalate- and PVC-free toys and accessories for men and women, and the Sensual Vegan offers Glyde vegan condoms, "made without the milk protein found in some latexes," says the company's site, and the condoms are not tested on animals.

Recycling condoms is not quite a reality yet -- except in a case in China where some hairbands were discovered, by a curious consumer, to be made of recycled rubbers. OK, you can go ahead and go "Eeew!" again.

All industries have to evolve, and although a 22 percent drop in DVD sales has occurred (it's right there on LarryFlynt.com) The New York Times reports that the purchase of adult novelties has shown a marked increase. "As the old adage goes, 'You can't download the dildo,' " says Kristofer Kay, editor of StorErotica Magazine, who says the adult industry is evolving, not just as a result of easy downloads off the Internet but also because of a change in consumer savvy.

Adult novelties, which used to be whispered about, are now sold in mainstream and high-end stores, Kay says, and sex toys are being talked about on Oprah. "Once you've hit Oprah you've made it," he said.

"You're getting Madison Avenue marketing techniques in the adult industry ... they're not only adult novelties, they're becoming sexual-health products."

Education is another step in the diversification of the adult industry, Kay says. The new savvy consumer wants to be educated, stimulated ... and satisfied. All businesses evolve, and hopefully this desire for education is indicative of a changing attitude in our society -- a sex-positive (and environmentally friendly) one.

For those of us who remember the smirking lasciviousness associated with going to the "porn store" (this was when VHS was king), the new attitude on the part of buyer and business is a refreshing one.

Between consumer openness and a greener national attitude maybe we -- and the adult industry -- will all get a little more adult.

See more stories tagged with: sex, green, porn

Liz Langley is a freelance writer in Orlando, Fla.

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