Enough with the Plastic Straw, Let’s Talk About the Plastic Period
I’m tired of putting plastic in my body while simultaneously fueling a harmful industry. It’s time to eliminate pads and tampons — they aren’t helping anyone.
The Plastic Straw Problem
In 2015, we all watched a video of a sea turtle with a straw stuck in their nose, and universally flipped our shit. And for good reason. Straws are completely unnecessary unless you have a disability or illness where you can’t pick up a cup and drink it (which is why bendy straws were made in the first place). It doesn’t make sense to place more value on convenience while drinking our venti iced coffee than the health of our oceans. The effects of this newfound disgust for plastic straws were impressive — it’s rare to witness an environmental issue impact policy so quickly. Washington D.C. banned plastic straws. Alaska Airlines got rid of plastic straws on all flights. Starbucks and McDonald’s announced plans to phase out plastic straws as well, but these bans didn’t cause a shift in attitude from the general public.
Straws Are Great, But I Want Systemic Change
Unfortunately, straws, while dumb, are only a very small fraction of plastic in the ocean, around 0.025% by weight (4% by piece). The problem is, Americans produce 234 lbs of plastic per person each year, and saying no to straws feels good, but there is a lot more that we can do as a society.
Frankly, the whole thing stinks of greenwashing. It feels like businesses trying to appease the ignorant masses who are starting to catch on to the fact that single use plastic is messed up, and it is unavoidable in our current system. It makes me frustrated to hear McDonald’s and Starbucks announcing they will test paper straws while ignoring the plastic lined cups, bags, containers etc. that they produce by the millions. Ultimately, it’s a drop in the proverbial bucket, or in this case, ocean. And with 8 million tons of plastic going into the ocean annually, we need to demand more sustainable systems in all aspects of life.
Eliminating plastic straws isn’t bad, but why stop there? It’s the smallest of steps in the right direction, and it puts the demand on the consumer rather than attacking the systems that normalize single use plastic. Let’s take the energy and care we all put into the plastic straw movement and direct it toward a system of products that pollutes our oceans and hurts women. There are so many benefits to changing the way we use period products and after using reusable period products for over a year, I’m a believer. A tampon is never going in my flower ever again.
Period Products are Plastic, and Harmful
Waste from period products is a big deal. Women use around 62,415 tampons over a lifetime — that’s 250 to 300 pounds of period products over the course of the average 38 years that women menstruate, or about 0.5% of the total amount of trash the average woman produces during this time.
Worse, although plenty of women throw away their products responsibly, there is unfortunately a literal pipeline from the toilet, where most of these products are applied, to the water system. I am definitely guilty of throwing used tampons in a public toilet when a disposal option wasn’t available, but it’s an ecological disaster. As a result, sanitary products are the 5th most common piece of plastic to show up on European beaches, with an American Study showing similar results. We aren’t just talking about tampon applicators either, a pack of pads has the equivalent of 5 plastic bags in it. Gross.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are an incredible range of reusable period products available that can change this wasteful and harmful narrative, and simultaneously help women. Women drive the consumer market. We buy 70% of consumer products, and companies deliberately market to women. Often women pay a premium for this. But in this case, let’s own it. Let’s use our consumer power to shift the tide on what we accept in our feminine hygiene products.
Menstrual Cups Hold More than Just Uterine Lining — Potential for Incredible Change
Eliminating the expensive disposable tampon and pad system has powerful second and third order effects. This goes way beyond eliminating plastic pollution, although that’s amazing too. Unlike swapping your plastic straw, making reusable menstrual products accessible can literally help reverse climate change. Women are incredibly important for climate change — educating women can reduce carbon emissions by 85.42 gigatons over the next 30 years. Yet, period issues are one of the top 5 reasons women miss school.
While access to period products in third world countries is worse, this is an American problem too. Feminine hygiene products are not covered by WIC or SNAP, and 2/3 of low income American women cannot afford period products. Pads and tampons are taxed in 40 states, which is outrageous considering that they are vital for half the population. And disposable period products are expensive — around $8–9 a box, adding up to $1700 over the course of a lifetime for pads and tampons alone — not counting countless pairs of ruined underwear and massive amounts of chocolate. A $25 menstrual cup pays for itself in three periods or so, but it lasts years. It’s a cost effective option with far-reaching effects. Reusable menstrual products eliminate the cycle of buying and disposing of expensive products that many women simply do not have access to. Enabling access to period products through cost effective, reusable solutions can help us combat climate change, while making life better for women.
Additionally, period products might be actually harmful to us, but no one has really bothered to check. In the US, companies are not required to disclose what is in our hygiene products. Most of the companies selling reusable options are noticeably more transparent.
Not to mention, I love my menstrual cup, and so do 90% of women who try them. It lasts all day without needing to be emptied, and it’s comfortable. There’s no running to the store last minute to buy some emergency tampons, no restocking of various purses and gym bags, and no sneaking tampons up my sleeve to discreetly walk to the bathroom. If you aren’t into cups, there are many reusable options to fit any lifestyle. Generally, there are reusable menstrual cups, reusable cloth pads, and period panties. This is a good listing of them (with discount codes!) that also has a cute video comparing the options.
Opt Out of Plastic Periods
If you want to join this plastic free period revolution, check out the reusable options either here (brief) or here (more detailed) or do some research on your own. The menstrual cup sounds scary at first, but there are a plethora of encouraging YouTube videos on how to use them, and virtually every vendor of cups has a “How to Use” page, usually with refreshingly down to earth instructions. Give yourself a little time to learn how to use the product — remember everything has a learning curve. Lean into it by slowly phasing out your current disposable products and replacing with reusable ones.
Most women find that they like using reusable products given the chance. Really there isn’t a big difference in feel between a tampon and a menstrual cup, for example, but the cup is safer, more sustainable, and lasts longer. It also forces you to get a little more comfortable with yourself and what your period looks like, which isn’t a bad thing. Be nice to yourself and to your menstrual cycle. Eat some chocolate and watch a rom com. If your boyfriend, girlfriend, or random coworker has an opinion about your decision, send them the link to this article and politely tell them to f**k off while you are bleeding from your uterus.
For me, when companies reduced their use of plastic straws, it felt like they were giving the consumer the smallest concession when what we need is a revolution. In contrast, removing plastic period products feels like bra burning. It’s systematically removing something that really isn’t good for anyone and replacing it with a sustainable, accessible, and more convenient solution. It feels great to completely skip the system that charges a premium for us to put plastics and weird chemicals into the most intimate parts of our bodies, and then toss the waste into the garbage for the sea turtles to deal with. It feels revolutionary — both for the woman that will proudly post on Instagram about her new menstrual cup and the woman that just appreciates being able to work all day without changing a tampon.
*Note: I often refer to people with periods as women in this article for the sake of being concise. However, I fully acknowledge and respect that there are many women who do not have periods as well as those who do not identify as women who do have periods. This revolution is for anyone who bleeds, once bled, or knows and loves someone who has a menstrual cycle. There is room for everyone on this eco-friendly journey.
