Good vibrations for sex toy recycling

Finally, we've got a genuine excuse for calling green living sexy: online sex toy retailer, LoveHoney.co.uk, has just announced its new Rabbit recycling scheme.

New EU regulations require householders to dispose of electrical waste in a responsible way and LoveHoney.co.uk has followed up on that by offering vibrator owners the opportunity to make the so-called Rabbit Amnesty Pledge on the company’s website.

Having taken the Rabbit Amnesty Pledge, people can send their 'worn out' vibrators to the retailer, who will then recycle them and donate £1 for each to The World Land Trust, a land-protection charity. As an extra bonus for recycling their old vibrators, punters can get a new one for half price.

Ruth Wilkinson from LoveHoney.co.uk explains the recycling process: ‘We take the used vibrators to a Designated Collection Facility (DCF). There the vibrators will be stripped of components that can be reused - these would most likely be resold. Printed circuit boards, which many vibrators feature, contain hazardous metals such as lead, chromium, cadmium and mercury.

It is the DCF's responsibility to ensure that these are disposed of to the legal environmental standards. Specialist recyclers will normally recover these materials. If any vibrators are returned in boxes, the cardboard will be sent to a specialist cardboard recycler for processing.’

The head buyer at LoveHoney.co.uk says: ‘Although some people might think it’s strange to recycle sex toys, rabbit sales are growing every year and we don’t want old ones dumped in landfill sites across the country. Rabbit Amnesty will take embarrassment out of the equation and give people the chance to dispose of their rabbits in an environmentally friendly way.’

Watch the Talking Rabbit explain the The Rabbit Amnesty here.