Most conventional tampons and pads contain plastics, synthetic fibres and chemicals that take 500 years or longer to decompose; these accumulate in ecosystems and harm the environment.
Sustainable alternatives exist! Reusable pads like Dame, period underwear and Moon cups offer more eco-friendly alternatives that are five times less harmful to the environment than their conventional tampon counterparts.
The Honey Pot
The Honey Pot is an eco-friendly menstrual hygiene program that encourages women to adopt more eco-friendly practices when it comes to menstruation hygiene. Instead of pads and tampons, they recommend menstrual cups that can be reused year-after-year – this will drastically decrease waste products that end up in landfills each month as well as all-natural feminine care products without harmful toxins such as washes or wipes that they provide as part of this program.
The Honey Pot is a BIPOC-owned company that cares deeply for both the environment and women’s health and wellness. Their goal is to offer safe and nutritious products while informing women on how essential vaginal health is for overall wellbeing.
Natracare
Every year we consume 45 billion menstrual products and create 45 billion pieces of plastic waste; for instance, just one pack of conventional tampons contains enough plastic waste to fill five carrier bags!
Natracare offers organic tampons and pads as well as bioplastic applicators that are home compostable, providing an eco-friendly alternative to plastic-based tampons which take decades to break down into microplastics that enter ocean life and eventually reach food chains.
Natracare stands out as a pioneer among environmentally friendly products by being the first company to earn MADE SAFE certification for feminine hygiene, which verifies their tampons and pads are free from carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxins and other chemicals known to harm women’s health. Furthermore, their 100% certified organic cotton tampons come with multiple absorbencies to accommodate different flow patterns.
Rael
Claude Vorilhon published his first book, Le Livre Qui Dit La Verite (The Book That Tells the Truth), in 1974 as part of the Raelian movement. According to this theory, humanoid extraterrestrial beings known as Elohim sent prophets like Jesus, Muhammad, and Buddha down from space to help humanity survive on Earth. Claude also claimed that Elohim taught him how to clone humans – so in 1997 he founded Clonaid with Brigette Boisselier for human clones production.
The Raelians champion free love and equality. This group frequently organizes marches against sexism and racism, and many members participate in sensual meditation sessions. Furthermore, overpopulation is seen as a serious problem by this movement, so birth control and abortion services are encouraged. Furthermore, coffee or tobacco consumption are prohibited and strict diet rules must be adhered to for membership in this community.
Cora
Cora launched a rebrand by Mother Design which emphasizes organic ingredients, self-care and wellness to stand out from competition and connect with millennial consumers. To meet this growing demand for sustainable feminine care products, they released Cora with organic ingredients, self-care tips and wellness initiatives as a unique offering to them.
Cora Tampons use non-toxic materials and minimal packaging, helping reduce waste. Their organic cotton core and veil provide comfort, with biodegradable applicators made from plastic-free material – not to mention they donate products directly back into society with each purchase.
Cora makes it simple and accessible for women to customize their tampons and pads online using their subscription service, and offers natural and eco-friendly menstrual hygiene products tailored specifically to each woman’s body needs.
The McGill University Menstrual Health Project
McGill University Menstrual Health Project began operating in 2017 to offer free menstrual hygiene products on campus, replacing previous practices of providing only sexual health products like condoms for free or at subsidized rates, without providing necessary personal hygiene items like tampons. It is funded through non-opt outable undergraduate student fees totaling $2.40 each semester as well as McGill’s partially student-funded Sustainability Projects Fund which helps provide sustainable disposable and reusable menstrual products.
Yang and SSMU Menstrual Health Commissioner Julia Miracle both emphasize that providing students with access to both types of product is vital in providing students with what they prefer and eliminating stigma around periods and period talk. Their ultimate goal is to ensure no one is prevented from accessing educational or professional opportunities because of their period.
