Ann Summers has launched a range of electronic sex toys billed as easier to recycle than regular toys, describing the move as “our first foray to toys with a conscience”.
The new Planet Pleasure range covers three of the most popular vibrator styles, featuring the Planet Pleasure Vibrator, Planet Pleasure Rabbit, and the Planet Pleasure Wand. The UK-based company sells them for £45 ($54), £55 ($66), and £50 ($60) respectively.
Ann Summers said that the three devices are made from 100-percent recycled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), without the use of glue, and have soft silicone sleeves that can be removed to aid recycling.
Having sleeves that can be easily removed potentially raises the chance of a sex toy being recycled, as it means that the parts of the device that touch the body can be separated from those that don’t. Hygiene issues related to standard sex toys, that don’t have separation like this, have proved to be a barrier to recycling and secondhand use for some.
Earlier this year Currys, the electronics retailer that operates in the UK and Ireland, asked people to stop submitting sex toys to the company’s recycling scheme, Cash for Trash. The firm said it was “working hard” to come up with a way of accepting sex toys to the scheme soon.
The Planet Pleasure range devices come with removable battery cells, that could be recycled and replaced.
While ‘sustainable’ and ‘environmentally friendly’ have become buzzwords in many industries, and are often more about marketing than actually helping the environment, it’s good to hear of a vibrator range with a practical function that genuinely seems to be about easier recycling.
It’s possible to recycle some sextech devices without breaking them down into their composite parts already. The US website Squeaky Clean Toys launched in 2021 as a trading site for second-hand sex toys. The site has rigorous rules about sex toys being cleaned before sale.
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