Vegan Condoms Are the Answer For Eco-Conscious and Safe Sex

Vegans and eco-friendly people unite: You can have safe sex that's also sustainable. German entrepreneurs, Philip Siefer and Waldemar Zeiler, created a brand that makes vegan condoms. 

Their brand, Einhorn, or Unicorn in English, has recently hit the multimillion euro mark, proving how many people are interested in vegan products — and in this case condoms. 

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Why produce vegan condoms?

Most of you probably didn't even realize condoms aren't vegan-friendly. In fact, they contain an animal protein that softens the latex.

So, to appeal to eco-conscious consumers, Berlin-based Siefer and Zeiler decided to create their very own sustainable condoms: the Einhorn. 

Dipping their toes into the $8 billion (€7.2 million) global condom market was a daunting task at first, but the team soon realized there was a lack of vegan-friendly condom options available.

Now, four years after starting their business, their €5 million ($5.5 million) yearly revenue is proof of how vegan products are increasing in interest. 

Siefer and Zeiler wanted to create a product that was fair and sustainable, for our planet but also for its workers.

As they were starting their venture, Siefer said "We wanted to create a product that was easy to sell and ship online, and something where we wouldn't have to deal with returns, as that's one of the biggest costs for online sales."

"So condoms were the perfect product. We hadn't even considered whether they would be vegan or not." 

Everything with love :) Thanks to #einhorn for the vegan condoms and memorable presentation at the #scd16! pic.twitter.com/AOOkSJHHQ4

— Cody Blou (@CodyBlou) May 20, 2016

What are vegan condoms made of?

Gone are the days when condoms were made from lamb intestines, however, our current non-vegan condoms do still contain an animal product called casein. Casein protein is found in mammals' milk and is often used to soften latex condoms.

Instead of using casein Einhorn uses a natural plant-based lubricant. The company also ensures to use as environmentally way of gathering latex as possible — which mostly derives from milky sap extracted from rubber trees. 

The vegan condoms keeping sex lives safe – and sustainable https://t.co/TuQmCElMPK vía @BBC_Worklife Interesting German #startup #einhorn focusing on the #vegan #condom market

— Raoul van Lennep (@bcnorange) December 10, 2019

Other companies that focus on vegan-friendly condoms do already exist, such as Glyde in the U.S. This showcases how this sector of the condom market is continually growing. 

Even if condoms still only count for a small percentage of the sustainability challenge, they're certainly a step in the right, and safe, direction.