In doing my part to reduce as much single-use plastic as possible, years ago I swapped out my disposable period products with reusable ones. Although some companies are transitioning to biodegradable packing, most mainstream menstrual brands wrap their products in plastic or use plastic applicators. As such, they warrant a much larger ecological footprint than we’d like to admit.
In North America alone, nearly 20 billion menstrual products and applicators land up in our landfills each year. The average person who menstruates will use up to 11 thousand tampons over their lifetime, which is equivalent to 400 pounds of waste from these products alone. This isn’t just a conversation that needs to be had amongst those who menstruate. An average of 800 million people around the world menstruate. That’s a huge number of folks who, on a monthly basis, must seek out hygiene products and as such, have a substantial impact on the amount of waste we produce globally. The environmental impact of these products affects all of us, which is why it is so important for us all to advocate for making reusable options more accessible.
As consumers, we need to encourage brands to put forward reusable, affordable products that are accessible worldwide to all types of individuals. It would be wrong to write this without acknowledging the privilege that comes with being able to seek out reusable products. Many of them are not available to people around the world or accessible to people with disabilities.
For those of us who have the privilege to purchase reusable products, I encourage you to do so! Some reusable products can last up to ten years, replacing up to 2640 disposable products from landfills. Whether you prefer menstrual pads, tampons, or liners, there is a product for you.
Reusable pads and liners:
This was my first jump into reusable products. I purchased a set of two from a vegan expo event and at the time, they felt like the least intimidating. There are a variety of local Vancouver-based brands, such as LunaPads and Foxy Cloth, that offer cloth alternatives to disposable liners and pads. Though they don’t last as long as other reusable products and typically need to be replaced after five years.
If you are okay with the bulkiness of conventional pads, these products may work for you but admittedly, I don’t love these. They rank low on my list and I wouldn’t personally recommend them purely due to their lack of comfort and instability. To clarify, most of these products use clasps to secure themselves to your underwear and because of this, they tend to slide around a bit. This makes you more susceptible to leakage (a serious nightmare!).
Period-proof underwear:
I’m not gonna lie, the idea of period-proof underwear really grossed me out when I first discovered them. I basically came to the conclusion that it would be nearly impossible for any heavy flow folks to get on board with this product because surely the fabric would be too thin. I anticipated the horror scene that would inevitably be the back of my pants in a matter of minutes and dreaded the feeling of a wet diaper between my thighs. But I figured that nothing could be worse than my experience with reusable pads. After reading reviews, I decided to take a leap of faith and order from Knix.
While each pair is a bit pricey ($26-$40), these are quite possibly the most comfortable underwear I own. Seriously. And I’m not just talking period underwear either. They offer products with different fits and absorbency levels so you can choose the style most comfortable for you.
If you’ve never enjoyed the experience of using pads, I still suggest giving these a go. Whether you have a super heavy flow or lighter periods, the wide range of absorbency levels makes it easy for you to find a product that will work for your cycle.
Reusable cups:
Like many people, I was incredibly intimidated by reusable cups. I remember asking myself how the heck I was going to maneuver my body around to insert it — it is, after all, not nearly as small as a tampon — surely the process couldn’t be comfortable. But after some trials and errors, I eventually got the hang of it. If you share these hesitations, I promise you that practice makes perfect. I recommend Googling different folding methods for easy insertion. Find one that works for your body, stick with it and remember to relax!
Many popular brands like DivaCup or Blossom Cup come in different sizes depending on the stage of life you’re in, hormones, sexual activity, etc. They can hold a surprising amount of liquid, up to 30 – 32 milliliters, compared to tampons which only hold about five milliliters. This means that you can wear them a lot longer without needing to change them. Personally, this is why I love them so much. I can wear a reusable cup all day long and not worry about changing it.
Sydney is a BA English major, creative writing student, who has been a content contributor for The Cascade and is now the Opinion editor. In 7th grade, she won $100 in a writing contest but hasn’t made an earning from writing since. In the meantime, she is hoping that her half-written novels will write themselves, be published, and help pay the bills.
