Have you heard of a zero-waste period?
The average woman will menstruate for 40 years, bleeding for around five days each month. This has an average total of 2,400 days, about six and a half years. Women’s menstrual blood ends with tampons or disposable napkins. After their brief purpose, these products will all end up in a trashcan.
Despite the fact that sanitary napkins and tampons are more convenient and accessible, they are not completely safe and eco-friendly.
Disposable sanitary pads and tampons are not 100 percent cotton. Traditional disposable period products normally contain traces of toxic chemicals, like the chemicals dioxin and bleach. According to a nonprofit organization, MADE SAFE, some pads and tampons are coated with chemicals linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, and allergies.
According to SEA circular, the Philippines is one of the greatest polluters of marine plastic in the world., with 0.28 – 0.75 million tons per year of plastic entering oceans from coastal areas in Manila Bay.
Ever wonder how to start your safe and eco-friendly menstrual journey? Start by finding the right sustainable period products for you.
Cloth pads
Although disposable sanitary napkins are far more prevalent nowadays, Filipino women decades ago relied on fabric pads during their period, called pasador. You can start your eco-friendly period with washable cloth pads, just like your great-great-grandmother!
If you are used to wearing disposable sanitary napkins, cloth pads make a great alternative. Apart from being reusable, cloth pads use a higher amount of natural, non-irritating materials, less likely to cause rashes and discomfort the way disposable pads do.
Menstrual cup
A menstrual cup, like a regular tampon, is a product you insert inside a vagina. This bell-shaped sustainable period product is a flexible cup to catch the period flow. It can hold up to three times as much as a tampon can absorb. It may look intimidating, but once inserted, it isn’t supposed to feel like it’s there.
Cups are readily available in a variety of sizes and choices of medical-grade material that can last you for years, making them both cost-effective and eco-friendly.
Put A Cup In It, a menstrual advocacy and education platform, released series of quiz to help women in finding their ‘goldicup.’
Period panties
Period panties can act as underwear and a sanitary product at the same time. If you prefer to not have something inserted in your vagina, period panties will save your life. This underwear-slash-pad has multiple layers that can absorb liquid and prevent leakage.
With the recurring global problems we have, it’s time to start thinking about reducing our contribution to garbage even in our small ways. Having your period is a personal process, so think of how you can be comfortable without the expense of personal safety. You can save your life and the planet as well!
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