Menstruating individuals will use approximately 12,000-15,000 pads and tampons over their lifespan, many of which are non-biodegradable and may release hormone-disrupting chemicals into the environment.
Reusable menstrual products can significantly decrease waste and pollution. Unfortunately, however, their adoption is not universal and many participants reported difficulty accessing information about reusable options.
Eco-friendly
Reusable menstrual products offer several environmental and cost benefits in addition to being more cost-effective than buying boxes of disposables each month. While initial investments for reusable pads may be higher than purchasing an equivalent quantity in disposables, their longer life cycle helps save money over time.
As opposed to disposable pads, which use layers of synthetic materials and plastic waterproof backing to prevent leakage, reusable menstrual pads are made of cotton or silk fibers or other natural and organic fibers woven together for maximum absorption of menstrual blood externally – ideal for showering or sleeping!
Disposable tampons and pads contain chemicals that are detrimental to the environment. Once in landfills, these microplastics break down into microplastic pollution in oceans, rivers, beaches, and our water sources – each year women spend at least $2.8 billion on period products that take hundreds of years to decompose!
Easy to care for
Reusable menstrual products offer an alternative to disposable pads made of plastics and chemicals that may irritate skin, with natural materials used that are safer for your health and breathability, without chemical gels or adhesive strips.
Your reusable pads should be washed at 40 degrees with your regular laundry, using dark laundry soap so as to not alter their colors too quickly.
Transitioning to reusables may require some trial-and-error, but once your routine has settled in it will become much simpler to keep an ample supply on hand.
Donating reusable menstrual products to organizations supporting women experiencing period poverty is also an option, and can serve as an educational resource about various options available; some such as St. Louis Alliance for Period Supplies even offer free pads and cups!
Affordable
Not only are reusable pads and menstrual cups more eco-friendly, they’re much less costly than their disposable counterparts – costing just $15 for 10 years’ use and FSA eligible! While pads costing about $70 annually will eventually add up.
Research reveals that many young people are turning to reusable products. When asked in a survey what features were most important when purchasing such a product, participants ranked comfort and leakage protection as their top priorities, followed by environmental sustainability as an equally essential aspect. Other key features included ease of changing and confidence using it.
Reusable menstrual products can help end “period poverty,” where women and girls struggle to afford expensive sanitary products month-after-month. Reusable cloths and cups can provide much-needed support in countries without access to safe toilets; brands like Diva and August even provide subscription plans that reduce the costs of reusables for those who are in need.
Convenient
Disposable sanitary pads may look like cotton, but they often contain plastics, synthetic materials and other irritant chemicals that cling to your sensitive bits, leading to cramping, itching or even dermatitis. Reusable menstrual products on the other hand do not contain these ingredients.
Participants were asked to name their top three features of a product; comfort and protection from leakage were chosen by both frequent users of reusable products as well as those who had never tried one; the third most significant feature differed depending on whether participants had ever experienced using one before: cost for those unfamiliar with using such items while ease of changeability/confidence using material were more frequently mentioned by frequent users of such materials.
Reusable cloth menstrual pads or cups can save money in the long run while having less of an environmental impact than disposable pads. A recent study estimated that people using reusable menstrual products create only 5 % of the costs and plastic waste associated with disposable feminine hygiene products over 10 years.
