Jack Gove didn’t start out in the sex industry. 

The 37 year-old Kent based entrepreneur studied philosophy and later completed an MBA in fashion before spending five years running a culture-driven menswear brand.

The novelty of selling t-shirts began to wear off and he needed a new venture. 

What he didn’t expect was a conversation with his fiancée to pave the way. 

“She turned to me one day saying, ‘When I was 13, the doctor put me on the pill and I’ve been on it ever since. I’ve never experienced adult life without it, and after reading about its hormonally interruptive nature, I want to come off it.’”

For the first time in years, Jack found himself standing in the condom aisle of Boots – and something didn’t feel right. 

“I remember thinking, this is fucked. You’re buying them next to pills, foot creams, thrush treatments – it almost tells the consumer that there’s something wrong with you, that you need to overcome something in order to have safe sex,” he said.

“Everything about it ran against what I’d spent years learning about branding – how you make people feel good at the point of purchase, how you communicate the right emotions.”

This experience highlighted to him that we have a problem when it comes to sex – and how we present it. 

“In Britain, we’ve historically been quite buttoned-up about sex and as a result, these products are sold in medical code words with shame-based messaging.”

This was the moment that sparked the birth of Sex Brand.  

“I see sex as a holistic part of the way we live. It should be treated with the same celebration, joy, and positivity that you see in industries like fashion,” he said. 

When Jack set out to tackle Britain’s uptight approach to the humble condom, he didn’t think he’d end up taking on eco-guilt in the bedroom too.

“When researching the product, I didn’t realise that most condom wrappers are made from a mix of unrecyclable aluminium and plastic.

“Every time you use one, that wrapper is going to exist for thousands of years afterwards. 

“As a consumer, it felt like paying this karmic tax every time I wanted to have safe sex, which is just ridiculous.”

The deeper he looked, the more blind spots he discovered. 

“Many brands use non-natural rubber latex made from materials like polyisoprene and polyurethane which don’t biodegrade. 

“Rubber production is one of the leading causes of deforestation in Southeast Asia and yes, condoms are only a small part of that industry, but they’re still part of the picture. 

“Most condoms are actually non-vegan too as they contain casein, a protein derived from dairy. So most vegans have no idea they’re contributing to the dairy industry when they use them,” he explained.  

It became clear that if he wanted to challenge the stigma around condoms, sustainability would have to sit at the forefront of his mission.

Sex Brand doesn’t just talk. 

The bold brand has revolutionised the condom footprint entirely – and has the credentials to prove it. 

Not only has it produced the UKs first fully recyclable condom wrapper from PET plastic, it also sources its natural rubber from the Regenerative Rubber Initiative in Thailand. 

“The farmers there have worked out how to integrate rubber into existing rainforests rather than cutting them down. It improves their yield, pays them better, boosts biodiversity, and produces a higher-quality rubber which feels better when you use it. 

“And with it being biodegradable, you don’t have to have that on your conscience when you throw it away,” he said. 

What sets the brand even further apart from others is their drive to get condoms into the hands of those who need them most.

“In the developing world, about 4.3 billion condoms every year aren’t making their way to the people who require them – leading to unnecessary STIs which are a much bigger issue in countries with underdeveloped health systems.

“So we thought, why can’t we create a donation mechanic where for every million condoms sold, we donate an extra million to communities that need them most,” he said.

Once the brand hits that milestone, its first donation will go to Reproductive Health Uganda – the country’s largest NGO supporting sexual and reproductive health rights.

So why is the bedroom often left out of sustainability conversations? According to Jack, sex products are treated the same as other functional items: practically comes first. 

“In some areas of life, like cleaning products or medical equipment, they want the most effective thing, and they don’t care what it’s made of. 

“The bedroom is similar, people just want something that works and don’t always consider environmental impact.”

He also says it boils down to a familiar misconception amongst consumers – choosing eco means sacrificing quality. 

“Condoms are medical devices, and ours are tested to the same gold-standard requirements as any other. Sustainability doesn’t mean compromising on safety or performance,” he said.

Aside from consumers’ choices, another challenge lies in getting sustainability in the sex industry heard. 

“It moves slower than other industries because of media regulation. We can’t advertise condoms on Instagram, TV, or billboards like say a deodorant brand could. 

“Society isn’t ready for open conversations about sex, so the messages about ethical, sustainable products get blocked. That’s why we have to get creative in marketing and build a loyal tribe that spreads the word.”

Despite the challenges, Jack insists that the timing for a conversation about safe, sustainable sex couldn’t be more urgent.

“Young people in particular are not being educated about the importance of wearing condoms. STI are at the highest rates they’ve been at since the AIDS epidemic and nobody knows about that.

“There are drug-resistant strains of STIs starting to develop. That alone should put the fear of God into everybody.”

So is sustainable sex achievable? Sex Brand says absolutely 

“It’s inevitable that the more we learn about the impacts of our choices, the more we will lean into making good choices in every facet of our life. And sex is a facet of life. It will become like oxygen to us. 

“It’s going to take time to get there and brands like ours play an important role in nudging the conversation forward. But I’m 100% certain we’ll get there,” he said.