We are massive advocates for being kind to the environment. We love the rising awareness and increased conversations about the impact waste has on the planet. But, period care is often left out of the conversation.
There are so many swaps and changes you can make to limit your waste and environmental impact. It can be as simple as swapping plastic straws for paper or buying reusable bottles/cups. But what about period care? With the average UK menstruator using over 11,000 disposable menstrual products in a lifetime, it’s super important to make sure period care isn’t left out of the conversation. Let’s look at some of the ways you can reduce waste on your period.
Fight the flush
Who’s guilty of flushing their tampons? Trust me, you are not alone. It’s estimated that 1.6 billion tampons get flushed every year. It seems like a harmless thing to do, right? But flushing your products is a big no, no. This causes severe sewerage problems and contributes to pollution in the ocean. You can find out more on this here. We all want to protect marine life, especially after seeing Blue Planet, am I right? Disposing of your period care products in the right way can help do this.
Without sounding preachy, it’s so important to make sure you dispose of your period products by wrapping them in loo roll and popping them in the bin. If that’s not your thing or you can’t find a bin, we definitely recommend getting yourself some FabLittleBags. Peel off the strip, pop your period products in, press to seal then pop in the bin (or bag temporarily)!
Ditch plastic applicators
If you are a tampon user, you might have already realised that the majority of tampons have a plastic applicator. This is a single-use plastic that is hugely contributing to the plastic pollution problem.
So, what can you do? Opting for non-applicator tampons is one step you can take to reduce your waste. However, not everyone likes to insert a tampon without an applicator. That’s why cardboard applicators are a great alternative. They are biodegradable so will break down naturally in landfill, which means less waste and a happier planet.
Switch to organic pads
Now you may think we are biased, but hear us out. Switching to organic really does help reduce waste. Put it this way, each mainstream pad contains the equivalent of FOUR plastic carrier bags. These end up in landfill and can take “450+ years to break down and therefore have a prolonged negative impact on the planet.”
There are so many organic, biodegradable alternatives (including ours!) that can break down in around 6 months and are much less harmful to the environment.
On top of this, organic cotton is a lot more kind to the environment during production. It uses much less water, fewer pesticides and a more sustainable practice.
Try reusables
Having choice and finding what works for you on your period is so important. Organic products are a lot more expensive to produce, so do have a higher price point, which is not accessible for everyone. That’s why reusable products such as menstrual cups are also an amazing sustainable alternative. Although the initial payment is priced a bit higher, you can reuse the product for up to 8 years so save money in the long run (Psst, our cups are also recyclable). This also helps reduce the number of sanitary products being sent to landfill each year, which is a huge problem if they aren’t biodegradable (it’s predicted that 200,000 tonnes are sent to landfill every year!).
Our top tip would be to take it slow and persist with the cups. They can take a bit of getting used to. For tips on using a menstrual cup check out this blog here.
We hope you have found this blog helpful! Do you have any other tips to reduce waste on your period? Let us know in the comments below or drop us a message on socials @totmorganic.
