The Environmental Impact Of a Plastic Product:
First, “menstruation is a natural and healthy bodily process that occurs for approximately 26% of the global population, with about 800 million people menstruating each day”, (Harrison & Tyson, 2022). However with the majority of the world using plastic menstrual products, synthetic fibers and polyester that tends to add up. It is estimated that “For a lifetime, a person who menstruates is predicted to throw away roughly 400 pounds of packaging from these products “ (Collie, 2020). Keep in mind this is just packing, not including the actual pad itself.
Most people with a period will bleed for 40 years of their life! That means that one person will use ‘5,000 to 15,000 pads and tampons in their life!’ (Harrison & Tyson, 2022). This means one pad or tampon can take anywhere from 500 to 800 years to break down due to the plastic contained in it. This means after it’s thrown it goes into landfills or bodies of water to either wash up on shore, sink to the bottom of that body of water or harm animals within the water. These plastics may also block many waterways, and due to the cotton in these products, they can be a burden on the environment.
The Life Cycle of Period Products:
The life cycle of disposable period products includes being made, being packaged and shipped, and then being bought and used and then being disposed of. The time it’s being used is a couple of hours before being thrown out to be disposed of in landfills for hundreds of years.
However products such as reusable pads can last up to 2 – 4 years, menstrual cups can last for 6 months to 10 years and period underwear can be used for 6 months – 2 years. This means not only is your product more sustainable in the long run it will also save a lot more money.
The Health Benefits of Reusable Pads:
The benefits of reusable pads include the fact these pads are much more hypoallergenic as they are softer and more plush on the skin as they are made from more organic material. Leading to fewer skin rashes and reducing infection. Not to mention many reusable pads can soak up. In the table below is the type of pad and how much it can hold.
| Regular: Regular with length 180 mm to 220mm and width 60mm–100mm excluding wings | Absorbency shall be 15 ml minimum for coloured water or oxalate sheep or goat blood or test fluid when poured onto the center of the napkin (at the rate of 15 ml per minute) and it shall not show up at the bottom or sides of the sanitary napkin under pressure |
| Maxi (large): Maxi with length 220mm to 260mm and width 60mm to 100mm excluding wings. | Absorbency shall be 20 ml minimum for coloured water or oxalate sheep or goat blood or test fluid when poured onto the center of the napkin (at the rate of 15 ml per minute) and it shall not show up at the bottom or sides of the sanitary napkin under pressure |
| Shall be able to handle moderate to heavy flow | Absorbency shall be 30 ml minimum for coloured water or oxalate sheep or goat blood or test fluid when poured onto the center of the napkin (at the rate of 15 ml per minute) and it shall not show up at the bottom or sides of the sanitary napkin under pressure |
In comparison to the harsh chemicals of disposable pads, they often use chemicals like dioxin and styrene that seep out as they’re in use often irritating the skin. Disposable pads have been linked to allergic reactions, hormone disruption, reproductive disorders, and even cancer. Due to the number of synthetic fibres, wool pulp, chlorine, synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances and pesticides, and herbicide-ridden cotton used in disposable menstrual products’ (Hopkins, 2018).
Both of these pads can hold 5 – 15ml, but Reusable pads are much safer for your health in comparison as they reduce the risk of many conditions by a considerable amount.
The Main Issue of Reusable Pads:
The main issue reusable pads face is that of social stigma, this is the very same stigma that plagues the issues of periods. Due to periods being seen as taboo, these products aren’t often talked about reusable products as alternatives to disposable ones. Not to mention the idea of using reusable products is thought of as ‘dirty’ when in reality this is far from the truth. Using reusable products is good for the environment, your body and for women on a global scale.
References
Alexandra Benisek. (2023, January 18). What Is Period Underwear? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/women/period-underwear
Borunda, A. (2019, September 6). How tampons and pads became unsustainable and filled with plastic. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/how-tampons-pads-became-unsustainable-story-of-plastic
Cannon, B., & Kimura, P. H. (2023, September 5). How much period blood is “normal”? And which sanitary product holds the most blood? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/how-much-period-blood-is-normal-and-which-sanitary-product-holds-the-most-blood-211418
Collie, M. (2020, February 23). Pads and tampons can harm the environment. What’s the alternative? – National | Globalnews.ca. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/6535090/pads-tampons-climate-change/
Dreams, E. (2023, July 25). How Long Do Reusable Pads Last. Eco Dreams. https://ecodreams.co.uk/how-long-do-reusable-pads-last/#:~:text=On%20the%20other%20hand%2C%20if
Elledge, M., Muralidharan, A., Parker, A., Ravndal, K., Siddiqui, M., Toolaram, A., & Woodward, K. (2018). Menstrual Hygiene Management and Waste Disposal in Low and Middle Income Countries—A Review of the Literature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(11), 2562. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15112562
Fourcassier, S., Douziech, M., Pérez-López, P., & Schiebinger, L. (2022). Menstrual products: A comparable Life Cycle Assessment. Cleaner Environmental Systems, 7, 100096. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2022.100096
Harrison, M. E., & Tyson, N. (2022). Menstruation: Environmental impact and need for global health equity. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 160(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.14311
harry. (2020, November 20). 8 Benefits Of Reusable Pads For Periods. Trade to Aid. https://www.tradetoaid.org/8-benefits-reusable-pads/#:~:text=Reusable%20pads%20will%20not%20disintegrate
Hopkins, K. (2018, February 13). 5 Reasons Why You Should Try Reusable Menstrual Pads | UMKC Women’s Center. Info.umkc.edu. https://info.umkc.edu/womenc/2018/02/13/5-reasons-why-you-should-try-reusable-menstrual-pads/
magazine, S. (2017). Planet-Friendly Periods. Stanfordmag.org. https://stanfordmag.org/contents/planet-friendly-periods
Matthews, L. (2020, February 12). The Environmental Impact of Menstrual Products. LeafScore. https://www.leafscore.com/eco-friendly-bath-products/environmental-impact-of-menstrual-products/
Peberdy, E., Jones, A., & Green, D. (2019). A Study into Public Awareness of the Environmental Impact of Menstrual Products and Product Choice. Sustainability, 11(2), 473. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020473
Roxburgh, H., Hampshire, K., Kaliwo, T., Tilley, E. A., Oliver, D. M., & Quilliam, R. S. (2020). Power, danger, and secrecy—A socio-cultural examination of menstrual waste management in urban Malawi. PLoS ONE, 15(6). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235339
Scaccia, A. (2017, November 14). Everything You Need to Know About Using Menstrual Cups. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/menstrual-cup#:~:text=Your%20cup%20should%20be%20emptied
UNHCR, UNICEF, & UNFPA. (2018). References ES 6346-2018 Sanitary Pads -Specification-Part 2: Reusable IS 5405 Specification for sanitary napkins Technical Specifications for Reusable Menstrual Pads General description. https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/Specificationss%20Reusable%20Menstrual%20Pads%20-%20UNFPA%2C%20UNHCR%2C%20UNICEF.pdf
