If there's two things we need more of in this world, it's condoms and trees. Each one is pretty important for survival, and seem to be in dwindling supply. I mean, judging by the record high STD rates, not nearly enough people are using condoms. And you can never have enough trees.
Here's your chance to spend your money on something you really need, and help the environment at the same time. Condoms for Trees is a nonprofit organization started by a group of young changemakers who donate 100 percent of their profits to Trees, Water & People. The concept is simple. For every condom you buy, they'll plant a tree in a deforested area.
How are you going to screw the 1 percent? Hit 'em right where it hurts, in the pocket.
We're always talking about the huge disparity in income...and why the top 1 percent owns such a huge chunk of the wealth. It's kind of alarming. A single company, Church and Dwight, owns almost 70 percent of all the condoms sold in the U.S. (ok, 69 percent, are you happy now?). Maybe you know them by the brand name, Trojan. Or by one of their 25 other brands, including ARM & HAMMER™, OxiClean™, or Nair™.
I'm not saying $544.3 million in profit is bad. Not at all. I'm not even saying that the CEO doesn't deserve every penny of that $2.6 million salary. He might be the world's nicest person and donate all those piles of extra money to a home for wayward puppies. In secret.
It's time we consumers started finding better ways to send a message. Our most powerful weapon is buying power. You can't always choose to patronize companies that do the right thing. But sometimes, you can.
Condoms for Trees CEO, Daniel Zengel tells me, "We're giving lovers an easy way to make a big difference for the planet. I started Condoms for Trees after trying to live a zero-waste lifestyle and quickly realizing that I wasn't willing to give up condoms, for obvious reasons. I try to avoid disposable and unsustainable products, but condoms are still a necessity for me and hundreds-of-millions of other people. As a millennial, I'm concerned with the growing repercussions of climate change faced by our generation. I feel reforestation and birth control are both key parts of environmentalist efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Condoms for Trees is about selling a product our world needs to fund the change we can't live without."
If you're not in the market for condoms and not in a position to make a donation, you can still participate. The company will plant one tree for every person who:
1. Likes their Facebook page
2. Follows them on Twitter
3. Joins their email list
Put your money where your heart is. Spread the love.