Right then. Let’s talk. I don’t think any eyebrows will be raised when I say that being on your period is a (literal) pain, and that, as you’re waiting for the kettle to boil for your fourth hot water bottle of the day, the last thing you want to hear is another lecture about the environment. But periods produce waste. And what you might not have thought about is just how much of that is plastic waste. While brands may spend a long time emphasising the ‘cotton feel’ of their products, most pads actually contain heaps of plastic- never mind the fact that they come individually wrapped in a non-recyclable plastic pocket, which in turn came out of a bigger plastic pack. It’s hard to track down a definite figure, but the often touted ‘90% of a menstrual pad consists of plastic’ is considered to be roughly right (see here for a full discussion of the origin of that figure).
And it’s not just that all of that single-use stuff ends up in landfill. In 2010, a survey of UK beaches by the Marine Conservation Society volunteers found a whopping 23 sanitary pads and nine tampon applicators per km of coastline. Sanitary products are the fifth most common single use plastic item encountered on Europe’s beaches, beating plastic bags, coffee cups, and straws. Which, when you think about it, isn’t surprising. I remember visiting Sainsburys after reading about this issue, and for the first time fully realising the wall of single-use plastic packaging that you’re faced with in the ‘feminine hygiene section’ of your everyday supermarket aisle. It’s crazy, it’s overwhelming, and it makes me sad.
Because there’s no reason it needs to be this way. There are loads of alternatives that mean that you can have a fully plastic free period, and dramatically reduce your waste footprint. And, quite seriously, some of these have been game-changers- not only for my environmental footprint, but for how easily I’m able to get through that time of the month. As with everything zero-wastey I post on here, though, I want to make clear that I don’t think there’s a ‘correct’ way of doing things- I can’t vouch for everything here and would encourage you to try what you think will work for you. Knowing what’s out there, though, is the first step towards making informed choices. So without further ado:
(1) PERIOD PANTIES
You guys. Period panties have been an such an eye opener for me. They’re so comfy, they never leak, they’re super absorbent, they’re great during the day, and they’re absolutely perfect for wearing at night. Seriously, it just feels like you’re wearing normal undies. After rinsing them out they just get chucked in with a normal wash and air dried with the rest of your stuff. There are loads of brands to choose from – Modibodi, Thinx, and Wuka pads appear to be the biggest brands out there, but there are others (you can even order Thinx straight off ASOS). They’re definitely what I’d count as an investment purchase, with one pair costing around £20. Personally, my three pairs were some of the best money I’ve ever spent and I’ll wax lyrical about them to anyone that’ll listen- but I did have to make a conscious effort to save up for them. Of course, once you have them, you spend way less on disposables, so they will eventually pay for themselves.
(2) MOONCUPS
Probably the option I’ve heard most people swear by, though unfortunately I haven’t been able to try them for myself. Never fear though, there are tonnes of reviews online (this one’s a good place to start). They cost £22 and will last for years and years, and you only need just one.
(3) REUSEABLE PADS
Something that I tend to use on lighter days. Like period pants, these can just be rinsed out, thrown on the laundry pile, and washed alongside everything else. Again, there’s hundreds of sellers out there- personally I ordered mine from Pussypads on Etsy, because a primates of Kibale themed menstrual pad is an absolute win. They fold down neatly into the little pouches that you can see in the photos, so are perfect of sticking in your bag as a just-in-case.
(4) PLASTIC-FREE BRANDS
With the best will in the world, sometimes you might find yourself in a situation where you need a disposable. Maybe you’re travelling and there isn’t clean water to wash your cup. Maybe it’s a shared bathroom, you don’t have a water bottle, and you won’t be able to rinse out any used pads. This doesn’t mean you have to go back to a plastic-packed brand. Step in, Natracare, who do plastic free disposable pads and tampons that come in cardboard boxes. It’s still a single-use option, but it is a better one, especially if you’re only using them once in a blue moon. Annoyingly, I haven’t found them stocked in any of the major supermarkets- but your local health foods shop is a pretty good bet. I hardly ever use disposables these days, but when I do, these ones are my first port of call.
Speaking of disposables, it might be worth mentioning here some of the more flimsy claims that companies might start brandishing now that the pressure for change is beginning to reach a turning point. In short, a good rule to abide by is that reuseable is almost always better than recyclable, because recycling something will still require the energy to break something down and remake it and transport it to wherever its sold, and is thus more likely to have a larger energy footprint over time. Another thing to bear in mind is that there are some serious short fallings in the UK’s plastics recycling infrastructure that mean there’s a substantial risk of your plastic recycling being shipped off to end up in landfill in south east Asia (see here for an introduction to the issue). Second, be highly sceptical of plastic packets that claim that they are ‘biodegradable’. Something labelled in the UK as biodegradable needs to break down over a set period of time, but importantly, that time frame can be just about anything and nothing needs to be said about the conditions under which that piece of plastic will degrade. The majority of plastic that’s labelled as ‘biodegradable’ will only do so in the high temperatures found in an industrial composter, and will not degrade if you put it in a compost heap (or, for that matter, in the ocean). This tweet pretty much sums up the problem.
Lastly, if you’re annoyed by the lack of plastic-free options on the high street, I’d recommend you give the formidable Ella Daish a follow. She’s been campaigning tirelessly for more plastic free options to be made available in supermarkets, backed by a petition signed by more than 190,000 people. You can add your voice to it.
