Fairtrade organisation, Fair Squared, have announced the roll-out of the first carbon-friendly, sustainable condoms, following a surge in fairtrade products in the last 18 months.

According to Fair Squared, sales in the sector have increased by 48% since April 2011.

The condoms are produced in a CO2 neutral factory, while the rubber used comes from responsibly managed plantations.

Fair Squared said: “Rubber trees are tapped, [which means] groves are cut into their bark and the latex, a kind of sap, is allowed to drip into collection bowls, every day and if tapped responsibly, just a few times a day, the trees can continue to live healthily, and to be farmed, for 25 years or more – meaning less land has to be cleared to plant plantations”.

The company added that high intensity rubber plantations work in a different manner, “tapping” trees up to seven times a day, which cuts the trees’ lifespans dramatically and means plantations last only a few years before another one has to be created.

Fair Squared co-founder, Salvatore Pignataro, told edie: “We feel there is too much focus on bananas, chocolate and coffee in the fairtrade sector but we need to be utilizing new commodities.

“Everything can and should be fair-trade whether it’s a condom or clothing”, he added.

Pignataro stressed that ethical options need to be made available to customers “right across the board”, adding that all retailers need to work harder on extending their range of fairtrade products.

Leigh Stringer

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