Plastic Free Period? 12 Environmentally Friendly Sanitary Products – Pads, Tampons, Pants and Liners

According to the Women’s Environmental Network, the average woman will use more than 11,000 disposable sanitary products in her lifetime, with tampons, pads and panty liners creating over 200,000 tonnes of waste every year in the UK alone.

The average woman will also spend 2,535 days of her life on her period.

Currently, 90% of sanitary products are made of plastic and they can take up to 500 years to break down, according to Natracare, while a sanitary pad is the equivalent of 4 plastic carrier bags and 90% plastic. Tampons are typically under 10% plastic. If you’re looking for more environmentally friendly options; a plastic free (or at least less) period if you will, below are 10 brands to take a look at.

The alternatives include menstrual cups, period pants and reusable pads.

Other issues with sanitary products include the release of microplastics into the environment and the sad fact that that annually in the UK, an estimated 1.5 billion of these items are flushed down the toilet – a truly shocking statistic. Like wet wipes, they contribute significantly the blockages in our sewers and to the creation of so-called ‘fat-bergs’. Environmentally harmful chemicals are also routinely used in the manufacturing of sanitary products, including Chlorine and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), linked to Cancer and other health problems.

1. Mooncup – a menstrual cup, which can last for up to 10 years.

2. WUKA – period pants that can be worn for up to 8 hours and will do the job of 4 normal sanitary products.

3. Ohne – 100% organic cotton, biodegradable tampons available on a subscription service.

4. TOTM – 100% organic, cruelty-free, biodegradable tampons, pads and panty liners,

5. DAME – 100% organic cotton tampons with a reusable applicator.

6. Natracare – 100% organic, biodegradable tampons, pads and panty liners,

7. Cheeky Wipes – Reusable cloth and organic pads and period pants.

8. Thinx – Period pants that will absorb the same as 4 normal sanitary products.

9. Mondays – organic pads, tampons and panty liners available on a subscription service.

10. Bloom and Nora – Reusable, Bamboo-lined pads.

11. Flo – Organic tampons and Bamboo-based pads available on a subscription basis.

12. Moodibodi – Another period pants option that will also absorb the same as 4 normal sanitary products.

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