We’re not great at talking about periods. For something that’s a natural part of life for 50 per cent of us for more than three decades of our lives, it’s rarely discussed. That suits the makers of traditional single-use period products just fine. If we aren’t talking about periods, we probably aren’t talking about menstrual cups, period pants and cloth pads either. So long as nobody’s talking about these cheaper, often more environmentally-friendly alternatives, we’re probably more likely to keep buying the stuff we’ve always bought.
There are plenty of advantages to alternative period products, however, says Irish environmental charity Voice. Through its workshops for schools, Voice is showing how reusable menstrual products can be more convenient, cheaper and better for the planet. Its ‘No plastic. Period.’ workshop normalises reusable and plastic-free menstrual choices in place of disposables.
Cheaper periods?
The cost of period products per person is estimated at €96.72 a year, according to the Period Poverty in Ireland, a report published by the Department of Health in 2021.
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Tampons can be the priciest item. A well-known brand, which comes individually wrapped and with a plastic applicator, costs 35 cent per tampon at one major Irish supermarket. It’s no wonder some 24 per cent of women in Ireland, and 35 per cent of 15-24-year-olds, have experienced period poverty, according to the Healthy Ireland Survey 2022.
There are cheaper, green alternatives, says Voice. Take menstrual cups. You only need one, it’s reusable month after month and it lasts up to 10 years. Inserted into the vagina, a cup catches your period like a tampon does. The cup can be emptied in the loo and rinsed clean in the sink before reinsertion. You can wear them for up to 12 hours too. They cost between €12 and €28 – that’s a fraction of the cost of period products over 10 years, about €970.
Trying out a new product can feel like extra hassle you don’t need at that time of the month, but the savings are compelling.
There are period pants too – you wear these like normal knickers during your period. They have a thin, moisture-absorbent gusset. They are leakproof and hygienic too, says Voice. Heavy flow pants absorb the equivalent of four tampons. This means you can wear them for up to 12 hours. When it’s time to change your pants, rinse them in the sink until the water runs clear and then wash them in the washing machine at 30 degrees.
A pair of period pants is €20 for a pack of three in one Irish supermarket, or €6.66 a pair.
Each pair can be used for up to five years.
Go green
If cost doesn’t persuade, there’s the environment to think about. Disposable menstrual items are the fifth most commonly littered product found on European beaches, says Voice.
More than half of tampon users throw the products down the toilet rather than binning them, according to a survey of more than 2,000 tampon users by sanitary services provider, PHS. More than half of those who had flushed tampons in the last two years were unaware they should not be flushed.
Tampons, pads and liners are ending up in our waterways. A menstrual pad contains up to 90 per cent plastic, according to Zero Waste Europe. A big-brand pack of 14 menstrual pads contains the same amount of plastic as five carrier bags, according to Voice. If you use tampons, pads or liners, always put them in the bin.
Toxic
Many liners, pads and tampons contain plastic, adhesives, artificial fragrances and chemicals known to be endocrine-disrupting or linked to heart disease, infertility and cancer, according to a report by Zero Waste Europe. Traces of dioxin, created when products are bleached white, and pesticides and herbicides can be found in menstrual products, it says.
Not all period pants are squeaky clean either – some brands contain unnecessarily high levels of silver, which could have health implications and damage the environment, according to a 2023 investigation by consumer organisation Which?
There is an urgent need for regulation of existing and new period products, says UK charity the Women’s Environmental Network.
“A complete lack of regulation and transparency means our vaginas have once again become the testing ground for unnecessary and potentially harmful additives,” it says.
Avoid all period products with ‘anti-odour’ additives, silver or ‘antimicrobials’, sometimes listed ‘trademarked’, it advises.
It’s calling for a menstrual health, dignity and sustainability Act in Britain. Maybe we should write to our local TDs to ask for the same?