topic of the month
Let’s go zero waste. There are almost 4 billion women in the world right now, of which roughly half has monthly periods. Menstruation is a normal event in every healthy woman of reproductive age’s life. While the de-stigmatization of menstruation and the elimination of period poverty worldwide are underway, the debate over sustainable menstruation is still far.
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t’s a very long way to bleeding green. While single-use plastics such as drinking straws, bottles, and packaging are being banned worldwide, throwaway menstrual products are adding to the plastic epidemic. On average, women menstruate for about 2 535 days – around seven years in total – and use more than 10 000 disposable menstrual products in their lifetime. Roughly 70 billion single-use menstrual products are consumed each year only in the European Union and the United States. Feminine hygiene products have a tremendous environmental impact. Disposal of single-use menstrual products – tampons, pads, and applicators – generates 200 000 tons of waste per year. Many pads and tampons end up in the sea and litter beaches. According to a study conducted by the European Commission, discarded menstrual products are the fifth most common plastic waste product washed up on beaches across Europe. Sanitary products flushed down the toilets mostly end up landfilled or incinerated. Most women are still not aware that conventional sanitary products available in the market are loaded with plastic. Menstrual pads incorporate up to 90% plastic, from the synthetics that soak up fluid to the packaging.
4 - VOICES
PERIOD. It is estimated that one pack of pads contains the equivalent of four plastic bags. Tampons are made of up to 6% plastic, including polyethylene – the most common form of plastic – and polypropylene – which is the plastic used in chocolate bar wrappers. Traditional sanitary products could take 500 to 800 years to decompose, as the plastic used is non-biodegradable. Some feminine hygiene products can be a threat to women’s health. According to recent studies, conventional menstrual products contain elevated levels of chemicals. Also known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, these toxic chemicals are linked to developmental and reproductive harm and potentially lead to health issues such as endometriosis and breast cancer. Through period care, pads and tampons come into contact with some of the most sensitive and absorptive skin on women’s bodies. Due to the high absorption efficiency and permeability of female reproductive organs, the chemicals sanitary products contain, are easily absorbed into the bloodstream. And let’s be honest: sanitary pads are not the most comfortable feminine products. Although no sanitary product is perfect, some are less damaging than others.
