In the UK alone, almost 4 million disposable pads and tampons are thrown away each day, contributing to 200,000 tonnes of menstrual waste that can take up to 500 years to decompose.
Put simply, 'sustainable periods' means you are actively making an effort to reduce the amount of waste your periods leave behind. Luckily, there are many things that you can do to reduce your waste and have a more sustainable and comfortable period - better for your body and better for the planet!
Why are disposable pads and tampons not sustainable?
1. The average person will use 11,000 disposable period products during their lifetime, and the average disposable pad can contain as much as 90% plastic (not to mention the chemicals involved!). Globally, 45 billion period products are thrown every year, contributing to 200,000 tonnes of menstrual waste. It's a huge problem.
2. Single-use period products like pads and tampons cost the environment and your pocket! It's estimated that the average person will spend over £5,000 in their lifetime, using disposable period products.
3. Although pads and tampons are not able to be flushed down the toilet, City To Sea estimate that in the UK, 4.6 million products are flushed down the toilet every day - these used products then end up in our rivers and seas, polluting our beaches and killing wildlife.
So, what can you do?
The best gift you can give to Mother Earth is to reduce your menstrual waste and the easiest way to reduce your waste is to switch to reusable products - which is anything that you can wash and reuse - again and again and again! This is going to add to your sustainability profile and reduce your carbon footprint 👣
Choosing the best reusable period products that have been manufactured responsibly from the very first thread is a great way to contribute to the overall
sustainability of our planet. Be sure to read all about the products you’re purchasing to ensure you are doing your bit for the planet! Choosing eco-friendly products tends to cost more as an up front cost, but over time, you will be saving money as you're reusing the same products every month!
Of course, full disclosure, we're slightly biased, but our favourite sustainable switch is to ditch the disposables for period pants! Reusable products are key in helping to reduce our menstrual waste. They are comfy, easy to wash, and our reusable period pants can reduce your waste by up to 99.5%. A supply of four or five pairs of period pants is sufficient for the average cycle and will last for a minimum of three years - yes, minimum!
Why are period pants sustainable?
1. Period pants are simple and easy to use. You simply wear them as you would any regular underwear, wash them on a regular 30-40 wash, and then leave them to dry, ready to be used and used again. They'll last up to three years with proper care - no more last-min running out to the shops for disposable pads and tampons! Read our blog post 'What Are Period Panties' for more info on these clever pants and how they work!
2. Our period pants are made using eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics such as TENCEL modal which is sustainably sourced from beech trees in Austria. Our natural materials are reusable and compared to disposable pads and tampons, reduce your carbon footprint by miles (literally!). Our period pants are also 100% vegan and cruelty-free - we never test on animals or use animal based products, and never will! Want to find out more about our sustainable and ethical manufacturing? Head here.
3. Our period pants are free of fragrances and contain no chemicals, making them kind to your body and kind to the planet. However, manufacturers of disposable pads and tampons are not required to disclose the ingredients used in their products, but they are known to include fragrances, pesticides and toxins (used to make pads and tampons have their bright white colour). Women's Voices did a report on the chemicals found in disposable period products which you can read about here.
How else can you reduce your menstrual waste?
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to reduce or eliminate the waste from your periods. If you're just starting out and looking at different ways, here's some tips:
- Make the switch to reusable period products such as period pants, menstrual cups or reusable cloth pads.
- If you're choosing to use single-use disposable products, remember you should NEVER flush pads, tampons, backing strips, packaging, or pantyliners down the toilet - we all want to save the turtles, right?
- If you haven't yet completely switched to reusables (we know you'll get there soon), you can swap your single-use disposables for organic pads/tampons or try a reusable tampon applicator - these are much kinder to your body and the environment
- The Marine Conservation Society estimate that on average, 4.8 pieces of menstrual waste are found per 100 metres of beach cleaned. Lucky enough to live by the sea or open waters? Litter picking can be a fun, free day out for the family and you'll be helping to clear waste from the environment!
Wrapping it up
If you're ready to take the first step and switch to reusable products, why not start with something simple and easy like our reusable period pants? Simply wear, wash, reuse. Try to use eco-friendly detergents that are kind to your body, the planet, and aren't tested on animals. You can also use cool washes to keep water to a minimum and reduce your carbon footprint even further! Our undies need to be hung to dry, not tumble dried, and this reduces your energy usage even further. We could go on and on about the benefits of switching to reusable products, like period pants.
Another easy way to make periods more sustainable is to have honest, open conversations about different ways of managing your period. We work with multiple different charities like Freedom 4 Girls and City To Sea that work endlessly to normalise the conversation about periods, and encourage people to share knowledge on why they are an environmental issue.
Through our giving back scheme, for every purchase you make, we donate to different charities that give reusable period products to those in need - helping everyone have access to eco-friendly products which can reduce their waste.
We know that it can feel like a big leap to switch to reusable period products right away. If you're interested in making the switch to our sustainable period pants, why not start things off slow, and test out some pairs to see how you like them?
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