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Products You Can Use...
PADS
The most common femenine hygiene product used by most women, is the sanitary napkin, commonly known as a pad. They are found in most general and medical stores. The most common brands being Stayfree, Whisper, and Sofie. Similar to Pads, Panty liners are also available. They are smaller in size, usually worn at the end of a person’s period.Sanitary Napkins are made of cotton and plastic. They can be only worn once and then are meant to be immediately thrown away. It is recommended to keep a separate dustbin, in one’s living area (usually a bathroom) to throw away used pads. Most people usually throw them away wrapped in newspaper. However convenient conventional sanitary napkins are, they are not the best thing for the environment. Most conventional sanitary napkins are made up of cotton, plastic and certain chemicals. How is it bad for the environment you ask? Unfortunately the only way to truly dispose of them is by burning them in an incinerator in a landfill. This releases unwanted toxic chemicals in the atmosphere, and it is in extremely large amounts as half the human population gets periods every month, and approximately uses 24 pads per month.
CLOTH PADS
Cloth pads are the retro alternative to conventional pads. Most generations have been using cloth pads before the conventional pads were invented. There have been concerns of hygiene when it comes to cloth pads. Though brands like eco femme have invented pads, made with cloth which makes washing them easier, and reduce staining. You can access the ecofemme website from here.
BIODEGRADABLE PADS
Everything we use can always have a biodegradable alternative. Companies like Saathi, Carmesi, and heyday are found in the market.click on the names to visit their website. They are a little more expensive than conventional pads, but if as consumers we choose this alternative, then we can tip the scales of the market and increase demand thus increasing the supply of these eco-friendly pads. Of Course Incinerating them with the rest of all other sanitary products, it doesn’t solve the problem completely. Home incinerators are now made available, which slowly burn these pads, which then is turned into a sooty powder which can be used as compost.
TAMPONS
They are made up of highly absorbent cotton which are compacted and made to shape like a bullet, which can be inserted into the vagina, which absorbs all the blood, and can be removed by a string. Tampons may be an even more hygienic alternative than pads, but sustainably speaking may not be that great , as the same amount of waste as pads.
MENSTRUAL CUPS
Menstrual cups have slowly been gaining popularity because of how sustainable they are. A menstrual cup is a silicone cup with a stalk at then end. This cup is supposed to be placed in one’s vagina, which collects blood throughout the day. They can collect blood for up to 12 hours. A menstrual cup can be used for up to 5 years thus reducing menstrual waste by a huge margin. Menstrual cups do need a little more time getting used to, but once you make a habit of using it there is no going back. Popular brands include : Sirona and Shecup. Click on their names to visit their website, and for more information and suggestions click here.
100 years of periods
Check out this video by allure which shows you how women have been using and creating new products for their periods.
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