As Editor of Hippyshopper I read an awful lot about how we can change our lifestyles to be more eco-friendly, and 9 times out of 10 once you've made those changes, what hits you is that it actually ain't that hard. Take recycling for example; it's barely more effort than throwing things in the rubbish, yet once you start doing it you realise very quickly how much waste you used to create.
But I have to admit that the latest green tip to land on my desk this week did take me by surprise, as to my shame I'd never considered it; "sanitary towels are terribly polluting things, so why not make your own and re-use them?"
The reaction of almost all my female colleagues was a resounding "yeuch!" and no sooner had I blogged about the idea, than another forum picked it up where most reactions were no less squeamish. But isn't it a bit odd that we feel so scared of our own natural bodily functions? Enough women are happy enough to handle far worse 'discharges' from their children (and, in many cases, re-use their nappies in exactly the same way) so how can this cause such horror?
The environmental impact of sanitary products is certainly something to be considered, even if you do find this solution 'icky': the average woman will use around 17,000 pads or tampons in her lifetime, the majority of which are flushed down the toilet. Just imagine the waste they produce, damage they cause and not to mention the money they cost us.
Personally, the main problem I had with the DIY sanny towel was why she'd gone to the trouble of decorating it with such a pretty butterfly pattern. Just check out these beauties! But I guess it's what's on the inside that counts...
