When you leave the house, you may have with you a reusable water bottle, a tote bag as opposed to a plastic carrier bag; maybe you even carry your own reusable straws or cutlery, or how about a reusable mask?
Inside your house, maybe you’ve switched to reusable makeup remover wipes, or maybe your shampoo is now plastic free; your toothbrush might be made from bamboo, and you may not even find q-tips in your bathroom anymore…
But what about your period products?
The switch away from single-use products is a work in progress, but progress is definitely being made, however, one product type is potentially being left behind in the conversation around ditching plastic and switching to reusable, and it’s time that changed!
If you have periods, you’ll know how many products you get through, but do you really know how many products enter landfill every year? Some 200,000 tonnes of material is believed to end up in UK landfills every year – I think you’ll agree that number is way too high.
So, what are your other options? Well, let’s have a look.
Organic/Natural Pads & Tampons (Disposable/Single-Use)
I want to start this post off by saying that reusable products are not always suitable for everyone for a number of reasons, and there is no shame in using disposable/single-use products if you have to!
There are however more planet-friendly alternatives to the mainstream period-brands than you may realise, because let’s be real, period-related education is limited.
Pads and tampons made with organic, natural ingredients such as bamboo, are much kinder to your body – they may even lighten your flow and reduce your period pains as they don’t contain the same chemicals as regular pads & tampons!
Personally, TOTM is my go-to brand for organic period products, but there are lots of other brands, including: Flo (stocked in Boots), Luna (stocked in Superdrug), and countless other brands. You could even check your local eco-friendly store if you have one – if you’re a Worthing or Brighton local, try Hisbe! And, as a reminder for tampon users, you can even get reusable applicators or applicator-free tampons to reduce the waste from plastic/cardboard applicators.
Reusable Period Products
Reusable Period Products come in so many forms: menstrual cups or discs, period underwear, or reusable pads, etc. and in the long run will reduce the amount of waste created by having your period, and will also reduce the amount you spend on period products, despite the initial spend.
Period Underwear is worn just like your normal underwear, except they have layers of absorbent lining to prevent leaks and odour – and they can be washed and reused many, many times.
There are so many brands of Period Underwear out there, and one or two style-inclusive brands too. Some of the more-known brands are: Thinx, Cheeky, ModiBodi, and even Marks & Spencers and Primark have their own range. Personally, I can only afford the £6 Primark ones for the time being, but I’d love to shop with a more eco-friendly brand in the future!
Menstrual Cups are becoming more widely used, and are worn similarly to tampons. They are reusable – lasting up to 10 years, and there are so many brands out there now too – but they definitely take some research to find one that is suitable for you.
Unfortunately, I don’t really get on with cups, so I’ll stick with my organic products and period underwear for now, but if you want to delve into the world of menstrual cups then some brands to check out are: Mooncup, TOTM, Organicup, Luna, Saalt, and so many more!
Reusable Pads are another great alternative to disposable period products! They are very similar to regular sanitary pads but they are made with cotton or bamboo, and secured to your underwear with poppers. Oftentimes, they come in a variety of designs and colours if you want to add a little bit of fun into your period products, but above all they are incredibly functional – once again just washed and reused!
There’s a huge range of brands out there, from Dame, EcoLily, and Cheeky, to small businesses, and at a variety of price points, they’re almost guaranteed to suit you and your budget.
It’s a shame that the conversation about more sustainable period products is not yet all that widespread, so I hope this blog post was helpful and gave you some insight into how your period can be kinder to the planet and your body – and maybe even your bank account.
Happy Earth Month!
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