LONDON — Sex toy brand Love Not War has released a range of free eco-friendly e-cards in a bid to reduce the more than 8,000 trees that are cut down every year to meet the British public's demand for physical Valentine's Day cards.
Love Not War partnered with noted body-positive illustrator Charlotte Willcox to design the limited-edition, downloadable cards and will additionally plant a tree, via One Tree Planted, for every sex toy sold on their website to help reduce the deficit caused by the holiday, noted a rep.
The brand recently earned 2022 XBIZ Awards nominations for "New Pleasure Products Company of the Year," "Progressive Pleasure Products Company of the Year" and "Luxury Pleasure Product of the Year" for its GRÁ device.
“Valentine’s Day is one of the most widely celebrated holidays, where more than 124 million adults across the globe exchange gifts, cards, chocolates and even sex toys. And we love the idea of a day to declare our love to each other. We could do with more positive days like this," Co-Founder and CEO Will Ranscombe said. "But all this gifting generates something we don’t love, more carbon emissions than driving around the world 3,993 times."
"Last year more than 8,000 trees were cut down to make the 25 million Valentine’s Day cards that were sent out across the U.K. The U.S. sent out 125 million cards last year. That’s a lot of trees," he said.
"This Valentine’s Day we’re offering an eco-friendly alternative to the usual valentine's day card but more importantly, we’re working to replenish the trees," Ranscombe continued. "At Love Not War, we have sustainability at our core and we recognize that Valentine’s Day is a fun holiday, a day to reconnect with our loved ones, but we’re asking the British public to reconnect with the planet too, to think about the trees."
Illustrator Willcox described Love Not War as "a breath of fresh air to not just the sex toy industry but to the consumer sector."
"I feel excited knowing that my art could help people to begin to live more sustainably. The simple act of switching to an e-card instead of a physical card can have such a big impact on the planet," she said. "This can be the first small step towards changing our consumer habits and starting a lifelong journey towards more sustainable living."
One Tree Planted Forest Campaign Manager Ashley Lamontagne added, “It is our goal to help the environment through reforestation initiatives across the globe. We are grateful for the support of like-minded organizations like Love Not War, and are excited about the great reforestation work we will do as a result of their Valentine's campaign and beyond. We both have the same goal, to foster a healthier planet, and we look forward to bringing that to fruition."
For additional details, and to download the e-cards, visit Love Not War online and on Instagram.
