Regular menstrual products are a major issue – it’s time to make a change?
The Tampons, pads and pantyliners we use each month are filling our planet with plastic waste! It’s not always the visible parts either. It’s time we all started to think about ‘plastic free periods’.
Think about it? It’s obvious that tampons and pads have non-disposable plastic wrappers or applicators. However, did you know that more often than not the products themselves contain plastic? Ouch!
Manufacturers don’t have to disclose exactly what they’re made of, as products like these are not classed as medical
It is estimated that over 100 billion menstrual hygiene products are disposed of globally per year. In North America alone, about 20 billion sanitary towels, tampons and tampon applicators are used annually. Here in the UK we’re using disposing of approx 200,000 tonnes of unrecyclable, non-biodegradable sanitary waste. All of which is dumped into landfills.
Menstrual cups and pants
On average a woman can use over 11,000 disposable menstrual products in her lifetime. With over 3.8 billion of us gracing this planet that’s an enormous number of products we’re literally ‘putting down the drain’.
Becoming more popular are eco-friendly, more hygienic options such as menstrual cups, cloth pads and pants. Menstrual cups, such as Mooncup are medical grade silicone cups for internal use, while sanitary pants such as ModiBodi or Dear Kates, are super absorbent knickers that let you have your period ‘au naturel’.
With each alternative being kinder to your body, nature and the environment it’s time we all re-think and re-use our monthly necessities.