Brazil to hand out “forest-friendly” condoms at Rio Olympics

Xapuri, Brazil – The Brazilian government is planning to hand out 9 million free condoms during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August, according to a Reuters report.

The local Olympic organising committee aims to supply some 450,000 of the condoms to the athletes and staff in the Olympic Village with the rest to be made widely available to the visitors.

Rainforest rubber condom producer Natex is to supply the condoms, which will be produced at its factory in Xapuri, Acre.

According to Wild Rubber, an independent project to protect to protect one billion trees in Acre, north-west Brazil, Natex uses liquid rubber collected by tappers in the forest nearby to produce 100 million wild rubber condoms a year.

Presently, the Brazilian government buys the condoms and distributes them through the national health service.

(Image source: Wild Rubber website)