Zero Waste Periods...
The topic of menstruation is something that hasn't been spoken about on this blog, yet I get questions on a regular basis regarding what I use when i'm on my time of the month. The reason why this topic is not mentioned is because I don't have a monthly period. For the last three years I have been on the Mirena coil, which is a form of contraception that lasts for 5 years. This has completely stopped my monthly bleed and therefore I have no use for reusable or disposable sanitary wear. I do however know many zero waste alternatives to prevent the use of disposables. Did you know that just one of us will use more than 11,000 disposable sanitary products in a lifetime... Crazy!!!
So let's talk options:
Menstrual cups
Menstrual cups are flexible, silicone cups which are used as an alternative for tampons. The cup is made out of medical grade silicone which makes it safe to wear and they can hold 4-8X more blood than tampons. They are designed to last for many years if looked after correctly and cost around £20. As all vaginas are different, you can buy different sized cups to suit your shape and size making them comfortable to wear and hold in place for 10-12 hours, day and night. Find your perfect cup by taking this quiz.
Just a few of the menstrual cups available on the market.
Cloth sanitary pads
These are exactly what they say in the title, cloth sanitary pads that are resusable! Say what!! These are becomming such a big thing being an alternative to the cup for people who don't want to use them or unfortunatly don't get on with them. Cloth sanitary pads are made from natural, absorbent materials such as bamboo or cotton that come in a range of sizes and thicknesses for different flows. You can purchase cloth pads as thin pantyliners up to night time and maternity pads. You can find them in a variety of colours and patterns which are supposed to keep staining to a minimum and to clean, just rinse with cold water and put into the washing machine before being used again. Most cloth pads also come with poppers which prevents the pad from moving around. You can order cloth pads online from multiple websites and i've even found people on etsy who make 'made to order' cloth pads. I really like the look of these!
Thinx underwear
Imagine owning underwear that can abosorb your flow without the need of pads or a cup... oh wait that's already a thing!! Check out Thinx underwear. You can buy from their organic cotton range in 3 styles; brief, thong and bikini and are all indiviually designed for medium, light and heavy flows. Check out how they work here. and Shop the range
