Reusable menstrual products offer a way out of period poverty: no monthly worry over how to pay for expensive disposable pads. With only an initial cost (or free for charities) required for purchase and no recurring fees involved after that.
Menstrual products on the market, from pads and tampons to period pants and menstrual cups, come with their own set of benefits and drawbacks that we will examine here.
Cost
Utilizing reusable menstrual products can save you up to PS13 each month when used instead of disposable sanitary pads, and over your lifetime this amounts to thousands saved!
Disposable sanitary products are one of the least eco-friendly consumable items on the market, accounting for 49 billion annually in Europe alone. Containing plastic, bleach and other toxic substances harmful to the environment, they may even be advertised as being flushable – though this can pose plumbing challenges and contribute to water pollution.
Reusable menstrual cups can last five years or longer before needing replacement, and recycling them via curbside collection or directly with their manufacturer is easy and hassle-free. Plus, they decompose naturally into nutrient-rich soil. In HICs, 4-25 RMPs may produce cost savings compared to 20 single-use tampons per period, with savings depending on flow and cycle length.
Environment
Disposable menstrual products have a severe environmental impact. Their use pollutes soils and rivers while damaging biodiversity. Furthermore, these products contain chemicals which may harm women’s health as well as absorb toxins such as lead that enter the bloodstream through absorption by pads and tampons used by female users every month in the UK alone – these generate 28,114 tonnes of waste each year!
Reusable menstrual products provide a safe and sustainable alternative to single-use menstrual protections. Reusable cloths such as menstrual cups are recyclable; you can reuse them over a longer period, lowering costs while decreasing frequency of purchases. They can even be donated directly to women experiencing period poverty as an aid against period poverty; their low carbon footprint offsets those of manufacturing disposables in many instances as some manufacturers offer closed loop recycling systems to recycle the cloths back.
Hygiene
Women and girls living in countries where access to disposable pads is limited or nonexistent often resort to makingshift solutions with cloth, rags, newspaper or tree leaves for menstruation – which has both short- and long-term consequences on their health.
Reusable menstrual products must be sterilized after each use to stay hygienic, which may seem off-putting to those who associate periods with dirt and grossness; but it’s essential to remember that menstruation doesn’t indicate sickness or unhygiene; rather it’s part of being human and natural cycle of menstruation is perfectly healthy and normal!
Reusable menstrual products offer long-term savings while being better for the environment, although initial investment may seem steep. Finding a product you feel comfortable using is the key – young people surveyed prioritised comfort and protection from leakage over cost and environmental sustainability when selecting menstrual hygiene products. Future research could explore ways of increasing uptake, particularly among rural communities or those from lower socioeconomic environments.
Comfort
Girls and women require effective, comfortable menstrual products that are affordable while being kind to the environment. Reusable cloth pads made of natural, soft materials offer maximum comfort against skin while still absorbing well. Furthermore, reusable pads tend to cost less in the long run – one person menstruating can use between PS13-504 disposable pad/tampons per year!
Participants were asked to name three most essential features of reusable menstrual products and prioritized comfort and protection from leakage as priorities, followed by cost, confidence in using materials and ease of changing as secondary considerations.
This report presents the findings of an Australian qualitative study involving a convenience sample of young people aged 15-29 years, using qualitative open text responses analysed against a framework of concepts to identify drivers and barriers to uptake of reusable menstrual products by young people aged 15-29 years in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Results provide insight into potential obstacles related to introduction of such products among LMIC youth such as difficulties learning how to use menstrual cups comfortably, finding one with suitable dimensions, as well as detailed information needs.
