Just think about how many used condoms there must be somewhere in the world. All the condoms you’ve ever used. And your grandparents. And theirs. Surely they could be made out of some of those plant-based plastics that are currently being developed?
And don’t get me started about disposable nappies.
I know where my very first condom is.
I lost my virginity in the woods near my childhood home. My then-partner took the used condom and threw it on a branch. We called it the condom tree.
Considering those woods are still there, and we were in a relatively quiet spot, that condom’s probably still there… twenty years later.
I admit it’s not the most environmentally-friendly thing we could’ve done, but we were teenagers. 🤷♀️
I have good news and bad news.
Bad news: Latex (which condoms are made from) degrades fairly quickly. That condom is long gone after 20 years, sorry bro.
Good news: The tree itself and surrounding shrubs and wildlife almost certainly absorbed the condom and its contents. So, in a way, it will always be there.
Ahh. The philosophical franger!