Sustainable Menstruation Products
Menstruation is one of the most universal experiences and as a result of its frequency and sheer amount of people who menstruate, the waste accumulated as a result has had impacts on our environment, however, there have been sustainable alternatives created.
Tracking the damage menstrual products have caused on our environment is a bit difficult since most of it is labelled under medical waste and not tracked. However, we can roughly estimate, since most disposable one-use period products contain anywhere from a little to a lot of plastic, and around 45 billion tampons and pads are purchased a year, even if the products contain very little plastic, the sheer amount needed every year is massive and eventually adds up and contributes to the environmental damage which is why sustainable alternatives are so important to explore for those who are privileged enough to access them.
Before we explore available sustainable alternatives, it is important to acknowledge that period poverty is a massive issue in large parts of the world, leading to a decrease in school attendance and performance, and that sustainable products are basically impossible for people who menstruate in those areas to access. With that being said, the NIH conducted a study in 2021 which explored possible accessible fabric alternatives (bamboo fibres, hemp, etc) that improves absorbency and can be used for areas affected with period poverty instead of the typical piece of clothing.
Some alternatives to tampons are menstrual cups and biodegradable single use organic tampons. Menstrual cups are reusable medical grade silicone cups that can be sanitised with boiling water after each use, they are one of the most cost effective options since one can be used for several years and only around 20-40 CAD whilst tampons are single use and have to be bought several times a year making it a much more expensive investment that menstrual cups, but if you personally prefer just tampons and are allergic to silicone or simply not interested, there are lots of cotton made tampons on the market that only cost a little more than the price of regular tampons (exact price is based on the brand but from the first amazon search, tampax tampons are 0.24 CAD/count but organic ones are 0.62 CAD/count).
Some alternatives for pad users include period underwear, reusable pads, and cotton organic options are available. Period underwear can be used for several years much like menstrual cups, they can be washed and sanitised in the laundry machine, some reusable pads can last up to 120 wears and are only a tad bit thicker than the regular pad. However organic cotton pads are also frequent for those who prefer them, the price difference is around the same as the tampons.
Ultimately, the sheer amount of sanitary products produced each year contribute negatively to the environment and those who are privileged enough to access sustainable products should research and attempt to make the move for a greener future and in a lot of instances it could save you money as well!
Works Cited
“11 Sustainable Products to Help You Have an Eco-Friendly Period.” Greatist, 18 Sept. 2020, https://greatist.com/health/eco-friendly-period-products-sustainable-period-products.
“Always Pads Price.” Amazon, https://www.amazon.ca/Kotex-Security-Natural-Balance-Overnight/dp/B002Q9YWB6/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=O7IO6Y3O1M4R&keywords=always+pads&qid=1693210124&s=hpc&sprefix=alway%2Chpc%2C335&sr=1-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1.
Barth, Theresa. “Menstruation Products and Plastic – PlasticOceans.Org.” Plastic Oceans International, 10 Feb. 2021, https://plasticoceans.org/making-menstruation-products-eco-friendly/.
Foster, Jasmin, and Paul Montgomery. “A Study of Environmentally Friendly Menstrual Absorbents in the Context of Social Change for Adolescent Girls in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 18, Sept. 2021, p. 9766. PubMed Central,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8465734/
“How Tampons and Pads Became Unsustainable and Filled with Plastic.” Environment, 6 Sept. 2019, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/how-tampons-pads-became-unsustainable-story-of-plastic.
“Menstrual Cup.” Amazon.Com, https://www.amazon.ca/Pixie-Menstrual-Cup-Period-Small-Alternative-Tampon/dp/B019632Z0E/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3L3CYSZIUZGHM&keywords=period%2Bcup&qid=1693207056&s=hpc&sprefix=period%2Bcup%2Chpc%2C147&sr=1-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1.
“Reusable Tampons.” Amazon, https://www.amazon.ca/Veeda-Natural-All-Cotton-Tampons-Applicator/dp/B0145NOA2G/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2X1I2FO5OBBB6&keywords=cotton+tampons&qid=1693209569&s=hpc&sprefix=cotton+tampons%2Chpc%2C167&sr=1-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1.
