How To Stop Your Condoms Becoming Ocean Waste

Warning - gross photos ahead. If you’re one of the 19% of people in the UK who have disposed of a condom down the toilet in a post-coital haze, our in-house (planet) protection specialists have a message for you: don’t flush your johnnies! Let’s be real: no one likes handling a ‘full’ condom, so popping it in the loo might seem like an ideal way to get rid of the evidence. However, it comes to latex condoms and toilets, out of sight doesn’t mean out of mind - and it might come back to haunt you (literally). Prefer that your sex life doesn’t damage the environment or your property? You need to read this guide…

Four reasons why you shouldn’t flush condoms down the toilet

• Contrary to popular belief, no, condoms don’t dissolve in water. They end up in the sea eventually, becoming floating ocean trash. The British Environment Agency estimates Brits discard 61 to 100 million condoms per year, many of which end up in rivers, the sea and on beaches thanks to being flushed down the loo… and it’s not just a UK problem. All across the world, beachgoers, fishermen and environmental agencies have reported finding used condoms washed up on beaches. Even if wild swimming isn’t our hobby of choice, we can appreciate the horror of natural beauty spots being ruined with a soggy souvenir of the hot-but-dim app matches ghosted after a night of passion.
  
  
  Image via EarthTalk®
  
  

• Not only do condoms flushed down the toilet pollute ocean waters, they’re a hazard for sea life. Ocean-dwelling creatures often mistake them for food and eat them, causing all kinds of painful health problems or even death. A 2015 Brazilian study of dead or dying sea turtles saw 39% had consumed marine debris, including tampons and latex condoms. Think about the cute turtles before you flush…
  
  
• If sad-eyed sea creatures don’t make you think twice, perhaps this will. Flushed condoms can actually block your plumbing system at home. This means a not-very-sexy backup of waste water (and worse) coming bubbling back up your toilet or sinks… ruining date night for the foreseeable and landing you with a big old bill.
  
  
• They can become part of bigger problems such as the disgustingly named fatbergs. Many parts of the UK’s plumbing systems are Victorian, and simply cannot handle the level and type of waste that is being discarded in contemporary times. Fatbergs are major sewer blockages caused by gross build up of non-biodegradable items, such as condoms, wet wipes and cooking fats poured down the sink. In fact, Anglian Water even nicknamed these gross masses ‘Jonnybergs’. We all have a duty to be more mindful about the waste we’re disposing of down the toilet, especially when it can cause such nightmarish and environmentally damaging blockages.
  
  
  

  Image via Anglian Water
  
  

How to safely dispose of your condoms

• The best way to safely dispose of condoms is to wrap them in a small amount of tissue and dispose of them in the household/bathroom waste bin. This classic method ensures that used condoms won't leak or cause any mess, nor end up in the ocean.
• Additionally, opting for natural condoms like HANX can also help protect the environment, as we don’t use any harsh or unnecessary chemicals which leach into the earth as the condoms break down. Not only are these chemicals damaging to Mother Earth, but they can cause soreness, irritation and even UTIs. We’re proud to have created an as natural as possible formula for our condoms - and we’ve featured in Cosmopolitan’s best organic and vegan condoms for safe, sustainable sex!

Want more?

• Find out why it’s time to switch to sustainable, natural condoms. Read on.
• From dishwashing liquid to deodorant, discover our favourite sustainable life hacks.