It’s probably one of the disposable items that pretty much EVERY woman has in her home and even handbag: Hygiene products like panty liners and tampons. It is a product we don’t even question before we buy it, we are so used to it that we don’t even reflect whether there is a more sustainable alternative.
However, when we pause for a moment and think about it, the numbers are frightening: There are studies that estimate that a woman uses during her life 12,000 to 14,000 disposable feminine products generating 250 to 300 pounds of waste in her lifetime. As you can imagine, these products contain chemical ingredients that pollute our environment when disposed of, taking hundreds of years to decompose. And – what many women don’t know – some components can even cause allergies and irritation when getting in contact with our skin.
But did you know that there are sustainable alternatives to these disposable products? Resulting in no trash and even healthier for your body. Let’s look at some of them.
1. Reusable pads
Have you ever had itching and red skin when using disposable pantyliners? Chances are you reacted to one of the chemical materials.
A great alternative are reusable pads. There are plenty of small shops that sell them. Typically, washable pads are made of (organic) cotton, bamboo, fleece or the like and after usage you can simply soak them some minutes in water and then put them into the washing machine. They tend to come with snaps to fix them to your underwear and also to easily fold them and put them into a wet bag in case you need to change them when not at home.
Super easy, comfortable and without producing any waste!
2. Menstrual cup
I have to admit I was a bit sceptical in the beginning as well. The size of a menstrual cup is obviously bigger than a tampon which can be a bit scary. However, the cups are foldable and one of their benefits – apart from not creating waste – is that they can hold more blood than other methods and are a great way to replace tampons. Meanwhile, there is a wide range of menstrual cups available. You can choose from different materials, shapes, sizes, softness and even colors! Most suppliers offer a guide that helps you choose the right size, form and softness, depending on your age, flow and several other criteria.
Hygiene is critical when using the menstrual cup, so ensure to follow thoroughly the cleansing guidelines provided by the supplier and ensure to manipulate it only with washed hands.
It takes a bit of time to get familiar with the usage of the menstrual cup, however once you have found one that suits you, you won’t turn back to regular tampons, believe me!
3. Menstrual underwear
This is probably the most comfortable solution. Menstrual underwear look just like normal panties, but they contain antibacterial and waterproof layers that absorb the flow and prevent odor. The inner part tends to be made of cotton or other cloth, so they are comfortable to wear.
For women that have issues introducing the cup or washable pads not staying in place, this is the ideal solution. Also, if you don’t want people to notice you are wearing disposable panty liners when changing clothes at the gym, for example, this is the option you should go for. Plus, there are quite some sexy, stylish models to choose from.
I hope I was able to inspire you to try out one or various of the options mentioned above. There is plenty of information and a whole bunch of options out there. Also, if your excuse for not using sustainable options is the cost of them, I encourage you to list what you spend on a yearly basis on disposable tampons and panty liners and you will see that inverting in reusable alternatives can mid-term even help you save money.
And if you are on the lookout of other sustainable products, check out some of my other product posts.
