Most women don’t think about the impact of their periods on the environment, but modern disposable products are actually leaving quite an impact on the plane.
• The average American women can expect to produce 250-300 pounds of garbage in pads and tampons over the course of her lifetime. This adds up to about $1,6oo dollars.
• A women will produce the same amount of waste in sanitary products as she will in plastics and paper cups and plates.
• The plastics on pads, and tampon applicators isn’t biodegradable, meaning that they will just sit in landfills for several hundred years.
• The cotton in non-organic pads and tampons (what most women use) have been soaked in pesticides, which can pollute water.
Although these facts are alarming, there are changes you can make.
• Tampons without applicators. It is estimated that tampons without applicators produces 58% less waste. For more information see http://www.obtampons.com/
• Green tampons and pads. Green opitons are “chlorine-free” and organic. Check out these links if your interested http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/blog/lets-talk-period-why-were-talking and http://www.maximhy.com/information/047-maxim-certified-organic-natural-cotton-products-chlorine-dioxin-synthetic-wood-pulp-free.html
• Reusable Pads. This is what woman have used for hundreds of years before the disposable product industry took off. However products the products are updated check out http://gladrags.com/, http://lunapads.com/, and http://www.partypantspads.com/
• Reusable menstrual cups. These last for 2-10 years depending on the brand and care. They also can be worn while swimming and exercising like a tampon. Some brands are www.keeper.com/, www.lunette.com/, www.divacup.com/, and www.mooncup.co.uk/mcuk.html
If you are interested in learning more about greening your period or some of the products listed above check out the links below.
• http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/10/ladies-lets-talk-periods.html
• http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/01443610903572117
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menstrual-cup/AN01770
• http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/10/whats-really-tampon-and-pad