Singlehandedly extinguishing Amazon wildfires or saving the entire population of endangered Sumatran rhinos might be out of one person’s league but switching to sustainable period products is totally doable and the Earth will be grateful no less.
The majority of period products contain plastic. But while we’ve easily left plastic shopping bags behind, swapped single- use coffee cups for fancy glass reusables and banned anything but sustainable and ethical skincare from our bathrooms, period products somehow still fly under the radar of eco-warriors.
Which is surprising, since on average, each woman menstruates about 450 times in a lifetime, contributing 10,000 – 12,000 pads or tampons to landfill. That’s 120kg of waste that takes 500 to 800 years to break down.
In case having to suffer through bleeding, pain and awkward situations every month for the most part of our life wasn’t bad enough in itself, we can now add guilt for involuntarily creating piles of non-biodegradable, non-compostable and often toxic waste to the list. Oh, the joy of being a woman!
However, the said waste can be easily avoided thanks to all the progressive feminine hygiene solutions appearing these days.
ECO-FRIENDLY TAMPONS AND PADS
There is nothing wrong with being a creature of habit. We’ve been using pads and tampons since our early teens, so it’s no wonder anything other than that – no matter how great it is for the environment – can freak some of us out. Enter eco-friendly period products. Same same, but different.
UK women, for example, are lucky to have Planera – flushable pads that dissolve in water like toilet paper. The company’s co-founder, Dr Olivia Ahn, felt it shouldn’t be up to us to figure out how to dispose of the products properly, and came up with an easy sustainable solution to the problem of 700,000 panty liners and 2.5 million tampons being flushed down UK toilets on a daily basis (but, honestly, ladies, DAILY?!).
Across the globe, Bamboo Babe pads were developed in Tasmania. The brand prides itself on being 100% certified organic with ethically sourced ingredients, and everything from the packaging to the pad itself is compostable and biodegradable. These pads break down in just 180 days. Bamboo uses less water than cotton to grow, which is also great for the environment. The best part, though? The brand is available in New Zealand.
Another big news story in the world of sanitary products is reusable pads. None of those faces, please! We’re talking about washable cloth pads made from OCS100 certified organic cotton for the top sheet down to the core layers, like The Brand hannah. Originating in South Korea, it took the Southern Hemisphere by storm in 2015. Hannahpads last 2-3 years, don’t contain bleach, dioxin, formaldehyde and other chemicals often found in mainstream products, and are cost-effective in the long run. The ‘Fresh Starter Kit’ that includes three pads is only $78!
PERIOD UNDERWEAR
Wearing panties specifically designed for these days is surprisingly freeing. Most of the modern designs look and feel similar – if not better – to casual underwear, and there are no SOS-changes – often performed in the most inappropriate places – required. In other words, it’s just life as normal!
Pioneering the industry of period underwear is Australian brand Modibodi. Their range is probably one of the widest on the market. They even have period-friendly swimwear and activewear! The breathable, super-slim lining on Modibodi panties is capable of holding up to four tampons worth of fluid. The pair will last from six months to two years and will cost you $28-$40. You can also purchase a ‘Give A Pair’ certificate to support Modibodi’s initiative to donate period underwear to women living in shelters in Australia and around the world. Over 20,000 pairs have already been donated.
MENSTRUAL CUPS
Menstrual cups take a little bit of getting used to but are hands down the best solution for basically all period-related problems. Made from medical silicon, which is safer than the bleached cotton of tampons, they are non-drying and non-irritating, and only need to be emptied 2-3 times a day. Not to mention zero waste and literally zero expenses – most of the menstrual cups last a few years and cost under $50, while we spend around $84 each year on tampons.
Switching to menstrual cups is like entering this amazing secret society, where everyone is cheerful, happy and enlightened. Seriously, this community is awesome and does so much to break the stigma around periods.
Take Lunette, for example. The brand’s moto is ‘Nobody should be ashamed of them; nobody should miss a chance because of them.’ Heck, yeah!
Lunette is all about liberation. You don’t need anyone to ‘empower’ you, because you already have the power within to liberate yourself from external expectations, limitations and period care products that are bad for your body and the environment.
Lunette founder, Heli Kurjanen
The brand was born in Finland but thanks to three amazing sisters – registered nurse and midwife Elizabeth Chapman, physiotherapist Carol Morris and clinical dietitian Susan Johns – quickly expanded to Australia and New Zealand.
Our very own Wā Cups is another example of how amazing the creators of menstrual cups are. Not only have they already diverted over 2.3 million disposable period products from landfills, they’ve also partnered with schools and universities across the country to donate one cup for each cup sold. Wā Cups founders discovered that 1 of 3 local students had skipped class due to not having access to menstrual products, while others had to sometimes choose between buying food or pads.