Why You Should Swap to Reusable Period Products

It’s that time of the month again. 

Most women opt for conventional period products like pads and tampons without a second thought. But as the world continues down a path of seemingly irretrievable degradation, we should be looking to make every aspect of our lives as sustainable as possible - including our menstrual products.

Period Products: Putting the Waste into Perspective

1. An average woman will use and throw away 14,000 tampons in her lifetime, creating around 300 pounds of waste.
2. In the United States alone, around 12 billion pads and 7 billion tampons are discarded annually.
3. Plastic tampons, pads, panty liners, and their packaging produces over 200,000 tonnes of waste annually.

Green Alternatives to Single-Use Menstrual Products

Now that you know how much waste is produced by period products alone, you have the opportunity to make the swap to more sustainable alternatives. 

Reusable Pads: Switching to greener alternatives doesn’t mean you need to totally ditch pads; reusable pads are just as effective and are much more environmentally friendly than single-use pads. 

• Not only do they produce less much waste, but they also are healthier for your body. Conventional pads contain plastics, chemicals, artificial fragrances, and pesticides that can lead to irritation, hormone disruption, and even cancer. Reusable cloth pads contain none of these, eliminating unnecessary exposure to these toxins. 

• Reusable cloth pads are more cost effective, as they can last you up to years. To buy an $8 box of tampons every other month for 40 years, a woman will throw away around $2,000 over her lifetime.

• Reusable cloth pads are comfortable, very sanitary, easy to clean, and often include a waterproof lining to prevent leakage. 

Menstrual Cups: Another great alternative is to use menstrual cups, which can last a long time and reduces waste accumulated by conventional period products. Menstrual cups are soft, flexible cups that are inserted into the vagina to collect period blood, rather than absorbing it. 

• Similar to reusable cloth pads, menstrual cups are cost-effective, as you pay for them one time rather than buying multiple boxes of tampons and pads each year. 

• Menstrual cups are also safer than tampons. They collect blood, rather than absorbing it, eliminating the risk of toxic shock syndrome, a bacterial infection caused by tampon use.

• Menstrual cups are very sanitary. Because no air is exposed to the period blood as it does with tampons and pads, there is no odor. Additionally, vaginal pH and beneficial bacteria are not removed or disturbed as they are with tampons. 

• Menstrual cups have a longer life than tampons and pads. You can keep a menstrual cup in for up to 12 hours before having to empty it, whereas you have to change a tampon every 4 to 6 hours. 

Overall, whether you opt for reusable cloth pads or menstrual cups, you are saving the environment a tremendous amount of waste by making the switch from single-use period products.

Visit our Women Hygiene collection to shop reusable pads, menstrual cups, and more.