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Can you have a plastic-free period?

Over on the BBC news, Chris Jeavans is attempting to live for a month without plastic. It's rather interesting and we're gripped by her struggles with non-disposable nappies and captivated by the idea of an old-fashioned picnic... but what we really want to know is: what about THAT time of the month?

Sanitary protection must be most women's 'guilty green secret', but most of us simply don't know about any alternatives.

According to Jeavans, women menstruate for about 37.5 years of using sanitary protection, which comes to about 12,000 tampons and towels per woman in a lifetime.

Most towels and tampons are pretty bad for the environment. Even largely-cotton tampons contain rayon and may end up in landfill sites. Jeavans mentions 'reusable options, such as washable sanitary towels that fasten into underwear with poppers or Velcro.' I'm not sure how I feel about that.

'After use, they are soaked and can be washed along with a normal load. Many stockists of cloth nappies also sell reusable sanitary towels such as the Minx Pad'. You can even make your own.

The Mooncup is another solution mentioned on Jeavans' blog, and you can learn about them here.

So, what do you think? Are you ready to give up your tampons/towels?

Posted by on September 1, 2008

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Comments

I know its bad... but I'm sticking to my tampax's... some things just need a bit of convenience

Posted by: txteva | September 1, 2008 11:19 AM

I've used a Mooncup for a couple of years now, and it's great! I never got on with disposable towels, so used tampons from when I was a teenager - but wanted a more environmentally friendly option. Got the Mooncup on special offer, with a group of friends, never looked back. If you're comfortable putting a non-applicator tampon in, you can put a Mooncaup in, no problem. (If you're very squeamish, you might not like it, but, come on!!! It's just your own body...) As long as you have the right size (B='Before childbirth', A='After childbirth (but not if you had an elective c-section)'), it doesn't leak and it has a greater capacity then the biggest tampons. And - big plus - the chance of TSS is practically nil - a tampon is the perfect lovely damp warm breeding ground for bacteria because it's got such an enormous surface area, but the mooncup is totally smooth. There's one or two little practicalities that you have to get used to, but that's the same anything new you try. And you buy one (£19.99) and it lasts you a decade. How much will you spend on tampons in ten years? Let's see, that's 13 periods a year...?

Every year the two big disposable sanitaryware companies 'generously' provide schools with a 'free' nurse who comes to do the 'period talk' for the 11-12 year old girls - as a science teacher, I've sat through so many of these talks I could give them myself - and the nurse always brings a box of lovely 'free samples'...and she never mentions any other options. So there you go, your daughters get 60 mins of direct advertising for a product that they then buy for the next 37.5 years...mostly with no idea that they could do anything else...

Anyway, I digress. Has to be said though, so many women have an 'eww' reaction to the idea of a Mooncup, but for me? If ever I decide not to use my Mooncup anymore, I don't think I'll be going back to tampons. Stuffing my vagina with expensive cotton wool and then walking around with a lovely bacterial culture cooking away inside of me - ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!! :op

Posted by: Lucy | September 1, 2008 2:45 PM

I've never posted a comment on one of these before but I just had to agree and reinforce all that Lucy just said. I've had a mooncup for 4 years now during which time I did a round the world trip for 11 months - quite a lot of that time in countries where finding decent tampons would have been a bit of a hassle. I couldn't recommend it more and when the subject comes up in conversation (not that it does often though!) I bore the pants off people with how brilliant it is. No leaks, no stinky rubbish, no need to carry spares, cheap, easy, and I honestly swear my period is shorter - but maybe thats just because its so hassle free.

go on - get one get one!!!! once you get the hang of it it is more convienient than tampons.

Posted by: Laura | September 1, 2008 6:38 PM

Thanks for your first ever comment, Laura! I've been thinking about getting a mooncup for ages, but I think it's about time I finally got my act together and did it!

Posted by: Shinykatie | September 2, 2008 10:11 AM

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