Do you know the costs of disposable menstrual products – to Mother Nature and to your own pocketbook? It’s never too late to switch to eco-friendly menstruation.
Recently I did an online poll asking, “What do you use for your menstrual flow?”
42 people participated. Among them, 64% use disposable pads, 29% use tampons, 5% use menstrual cups, and none use reusable pads.
So it seems the 95-5 percent rule prevails here: 95% disposable and 5% eco-friendly.
I was a little surprised at the result, initially, because I was expecting at least some representation in the reusable pad category. But after some thought, it’s not really that surprising.
Why Use Eco-friendly Menstrual Products
After all, it’s only recently that I myself have learned the following facts and switched to reusable pads – and a more eco-friendly menstruation.
- 12 billion pads and 7 million tampons pollute landfills annually in the US.
- An average woman throws away 250 to 300 pounds of tampons, pads and applicators in her lifetime. The great majority of these products end up in landfills, or as something sewage treatment plants must deal with.
- In a woman’s lifetime, she is likely to use 15,000 sanitary pads or tampons. And there are 85 million women of menstruating age in North America.
- So do the math! This will amount to a whopping 1.275 trillion disposable pads and tampons (weighing 12.75 million tons) from all the menstruating women in North America alone. And sadly, all this waste has found or will find its way to our landfills.
- Let’s forget about the environment for a second and just look at the economics. Let’s say that an average pad or tampon costs about 20 cents. This means you’ll probably spend about $3,125 on disposable pads and/or tampons during your entire menstrual history.
This may not seem like a lot if you’re relatively well off. And perhaps this is one of the reasons why most of us are still using disposables, despite their extremely high environmental costs. But I for one could find more fun and constructive uses for $3,125.
Other possible explanations?
We’re highly influenced by a disposable culture for the most part. The costs of production have been driven to historical lows thanks to the technological advancement and the advent of mass production. Why keep it? It’s so cheap anyway. Just use it and throw it away!
Also, the environmental costs are, for the most part, invisible to us. It’s so difficult to know what the environmental costs actually are that we just don’t think about it, not that much any way.
But this is changing, and thank God for it! More and more people are becoming aware of the hidden costs and heavy footprints we’re leaving on this planet, and they’re doing something about it.
I admit I’m a late boomer in this regard. I’ve been using disposable pads for 20 something years. It only occurred to me recently that I needed to make a change.
But it’s never too late to make a difference, to do your part, taking care of yourself and the beautiful planet we live on.
And after using the resuable pads for a while, I have to say that I love it, and I can never go back to the disposable pads. It’s becoming a way of life and a way of menstruation for me – a much better way!
In response to comments about giving reusable pads to girls in poor countries instead of disposables: In some countries disposable pads are a much better option than reusable washable ones. It is important to distinguish that while you have clean tap water to wash yours and that you may use a washing machine, they would be washing by hand in water they had to collect from the river or local well. It may not be clean and is very time consuming. Then you have to consider the drying process. Apparently they dry them (yes they already use cloth) out if view in dark places because if the social view of such things. Consequently they aren’t dried hygienicly. It’s a different life with many different considerations.
Leah, thanks for your interesting perspectives. I’ve been to India and I know what you’re referring too. It’s a refreshing perspective that many of us have not thought about.
Thanks for sharing Mary! I agree with you completely. Since I started using the cloth pads, I simply can’t go back to the disposable. Because I don’t have a heavy period, I only own one cloth pad 🙂 I wash it every night, hang it dry so I can use it again the next day.
A few cycles ago I found reusable pads after 3 years of menstruating (I am 16). My mother used cloth diapers on me and bleached/sanitized and saved them, so now I make pads out of them. However, while the Gladrags(only ones I have tried) are more comfortable and absorbent than the homemade ones, when I wear disposables, it feels like a rough wad of plastic. Gradrags FAQs has answers to all the reservations posed in the comments above as well as a program to give impoverished girls REUSABLE pads. I am trying to use all reusable pads, but they are expensive so buying a little at a time is easier on the budget!
loving this article and comments….great work promoting non disposables 🙂
Add me to the growing list of people not going back to disposables. I only wish I had known about cups sooner.
I’ve used a Keeper and cloth pads for years and I’m never going back to so-called “disposables.” Women survived for thousands of years without them and we can too. Is anything really disposable anyway? Just because you can’t see it in your backyard doesn’t mean it’s gone. Future generations will have to deal with our waste for millennia to come. How’s that for an ick factor!
This menstruation is the first time I use reusable pads. They’re surprisingly absorbent and comfortable. Very easy to clean as well. I’m loving it!
I’ve been a menstrual cup user for about 10 years, and occasionally use cloth pads too.
I’d never go back to disposables.
My flow is too heavy for tampons and pads, where as cups hold more, don’t leak like tampons, can be worn for 12 hours and can be worn safely overnight – they’re more convenient and reliable, this was my motivation. After switching I also no longer felt gross down below from pads, no soreness from inserting tampons, and no constant bacterial and yeast infections – so reusable’s were healthier, more hygienic and more comfortable too.
Environmental benefits were not motivation for me – although as I changed every 15 mins on a heavy day, my periods are long so that’s a lot of tampons and pads, plus I used rayon/synthetic (harmful manufacturing) and flushed tampons (damage to sewage systems and waterways) so this was another plus. Also while things are tight not spending a fortune every month on sanitary products is a huge plus too!
I too am a late bloomer when it comes to using cloth pads and menstrual cups. But, I absolutely LOVE them. I like a lot of other women can only wish I knew about these options years ago. Nonetheless, as I start menopause, I still can enjoy my menstrual cup and cloth panty liners!
I used disposable pads for about 15 years, then had my first child. I cloth diapered him, and it caused me to think how much more comfortable cotton diapers must be compared to papery-plasticy disposables. And the same with pads. I bought a few lunapads to try, and was instantly hooked. It’s been 4 years now, and I have not bought a single disposable pad, and will not ever again! Another great perk of cloth pads is for pregnancy. Some women have a lot of discharge (sorry if TMI!), and disposables are just not comfortable to be wearing every day for 9 months.
I recently bought a divacup, and am using it, but it is hit or miss for me. I still prefer using cloth pads.
Washing isn’t an issue for me. I soak the used pads in a pail of cold water, rinsing daily, then toss them in with whatever load of laundry I am doing that day. Towels, clothes, undies..it doesn’t really matter to me. Washing them is far less icky than washing cloth diapers!
I used to suffer from re-occuring yeast infections until I made the switch to cloth. I’ve been using cloth for 10 years now and I’ve had 2 infections in 10 years. There is no smell from the cloth ones like there is from the plastic ones. As for in carrying the dirty ones around, I use Lunapads and just change the top liner when I’m in public, and I tuck the little liner in a pretty pouch and put it in my pocket or purse and no one knows. Also the fabric ones come in all sorts of pretty or funky patterns and colours. Lunapads are also just as thin as dispoables, and so much more comfortable
Wow thank you all so much for your great comments. I’m so happy to hear that so many of you are using eco-friendly menstruation products and you’re all loving it. I hope more and more young women will follow your lead. Please please take a moment to cast your vote on our monthly poll. You can find it under the community section or your personal page. It’s important for others to see it!!
ive switched to disposables on earth day in 2009, and have never looked back. they help with the rash and horrible smell i was getting from disposable pads. who knew that when you use disposables, there is no odour? as well, my cramps have gone away. i can only imagine what 25+ years of chemicals were doing to my body.
as for the contaminating of laundry, i soak mine in water until most of the blood comes out and throw them in with towels. no one will ever be the wiser. and you can put the bucket or whatever container you wish to soak it in under the cabinet, out of sight our of mind, right?
I’m so glad that I found out about menstrual cups and cloth pads now when I’m young. I’ve only been using disposables for five years, so it’s nice to know my next thirty or so years will be eco-friendly.
I wish they would show young girls other forms of eco-friendly products like menstrual cups early on. You never see commercials about them and they’re pretty amazing.
I JUST recently discovered the diva cup. I have only been using it 1 cycle but i love it and would never go back. I think for the most part people just don’t know that there are other options out there.
The DivaCup is an awesome option for many women! one word comes to mind for me…. Freedom!
I use re-usable pads combined with a cup. The pads come clean very easily. And you don’t bleed as much as you might think. Disposables are designed to spread out the stain more so it looks like they’re holding a lot. The idea that your blood might ‘contaminate’ anything is absolutely ridiculous. Always wash in cold water though. Hot water will set a stain.
I use eco-friendly lunapads. I love them. Is your husband worried when you put some leaked on undies in the wash with his? Same principle.
I’m in the disposable pad category and it’s totally cause of the ick factor. I’d love to see a lab test showing how clean reusable pads get using a normal washer and detergent. (oh and my Hubby is squeamish about it somehow contaminating his laundry. Any suggestions?)
Have you tried to soak your pad in water until most of the blood comes out? I think your hubby will like this idea 🙂 You can then use the water for your plants. It’s supposed to be a great fertilizer!
For me, it’s not the ick factor, it’s the, “What do I do with it in public when all I have is my little purse with a few clean, flat pads/pantyliners and nothing to put my dirty ones in?”
Lunapads makes a product called a moon bag that has 2 nylon lined zippered pouches; on for dirty and one for clean. It fits nicely in my purse, or at work I just take the moon bag with me.
where can i buy lunapads?
Morra, you can get it at lunapads.com 🙂
You should really look at the moonpad bags from Lunapads.com. I have a few of these, highly recommend them, and they are waterproof inside, with two totally seperate zippered pouches.
They have smaller bags as well, so if you just want to take one, you can swap the clean out and put the dirty (and snap folded) cloth pad back.
Something to consider. Good luck! 😀
What do you do in that situation with used disposable pads? – most bathrooms do have sanitary bins, but not all, so you’d do just the same as you would then, surely?
I use a ziplock bag inside of a cosmetic carry bag!
You would be surprised how small and discreet Lunapads are
The old question gets raised here – do you consider your underwear to be ick?
Menstrual flow is no more dirty or ick than any other vaginal fluid – I’d pose that to hubby, and hope he doesn’t actually use the term ‘contaminating’ about anything coming out of your vagina! lol.
I also like to make comparison to reusable diapers in that here in the UK the NHS country-wide strongly supports their use due in part to health benefits to baby (environmental benefits also being a major factor), they’d not do that if they didn’t think washing machines got them clean.
Disposables prevent air-flow resulting in a warm and moist environment perfect for bacteria and yeast, thus why disposables are a common cause of yeast infections and UTI’s – medical professionals suggest cloth to those with reoccurring infections as they’re more hygienic/healthier.
Many women focus on the ick factor related to reusable pads, however, few of these same women stop to consider how truly unsanitary disposables are. You might be surprised to know that the WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that 68% of all vaginal infections are caused by disposable pads. Disposables are essentially made of plastic and plastic fibers, which, along with gelifying powders they contain to turn menstrual flow into gelatin, and body heat, are perfect incubators for bacteria. As proof of this, just remember the smell and feel of the last disposable pad you changed – Gross, right? but I bet you thought nothing of it…
do you have a reference for the WHO report – this kind of data is important to strengthen a case against disposable pads. In India, the Government are preparing to launch a scheme to improve menstrual hygiene by issuing adolescent girls with 6 disposable sanitary napkins each month – in the initial phase of this scheme alone it will generate waste from 90 million disposable pads each month with questionable health benefits…http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-11/india/29532148_1_adolescent-girls-napkins-hygiene
any other research in this direction also very welcome. Personal claims are great but to really effect policy change needs more!
Kathy, I agree with you completely! Instead of issuing disposable sanitary napkins to young girls, think about how much waste will be reduced by issuing reusable pads. Thanks for sharing the information. I’ll keep my eyes on further research on this subject also. And please feel free to share any research you come across. Education is the key component for effecting a real change!
Such a gross state is never achieved by a cloth pad. Cotton and other natural fibers have the inherent ability to inhibit bacteria growth, and cloth also allows the pad to “breathe” which also inhibits bacteria. A cloth pad will not be stinky when you take it off.
…I’ve been using cloth pads for years and also manufacture them. I have have run tests with my own pads, cutting them open after years of use and have found them clean. Despite the claims of some soaps with antibacterial, regular soap and detergent have sufficient antibacterial properties (that’s why they tell you to wash a cut with soap and water), but if you wanted to you could even boil them for 10 minutes to desinfect them, though I’ve never done it, or adding an eco-friendly desinfectant such as tea tree oil or grapefruit oil.
Plus, cloth menstrual pads are so comfortable that once you try them you’ll never go back to those stinky, itchy, plastic-y disposables.
You can either wash them with bleach or line dry them in the sun, which is more eco-friendly and cheaper, the sun will kill all bacteria, and wash separate from his laundry. You could also point out the feces that gets into the washer from *his* undershorts. Majority of men do not clean *that* well after using the bathroom. Experts say that there is approximately 2 tablespoons of feces in each load of undergarments, gross. He also doesn’t seem to be so squeamish about your bodily fluids when you’re having sexual relations, does he?
Men need to get over the natural process of womens’ bodies. This is they way our bodies work and have for millennia, it’s not going to change and we are the ones who have to deal with it. Women used cloth up until the 80’s just like diapers with babies.
Wash your pads separate and use an oxy cleaner. My pads are clean and fresh after every wash! As for ick, it’s not that bad!
He can wash his own laundry? It is the same as our own underwear isn’t it? Usually pre rinsed or soaked there really is not much actual blood on them for the wash.
Unless you have AIDS or something viral, you are fine. The bacteria aren’t going to survive. Detergents dissolve the lipid bilayer, without it bacteria aren’t going to survive, especially if you soak. Blood cells aren’t bacterial cells, they have no nucleus. Using an oxidizing agent on blood causes them to lyse.
Blood meal is common in garden stores and some pet food. What about handling raw or eating rare/medium meat? I would imagine if there are issues with menstrual blood, which you know what is in it (you better know your own health), then your family must be vegetarian. What about gashes and cuts? Are you expected to go all out in PPE, complete with a hazardous waste bin and incinerator in the backyard by the swingset? You would know if there were pathogens in your family’s blood.
Believe me, disposables make it ickier than it really is. I recently switched and I am shocked at how not gross it is.
Dear Crunchy Con Mommy: You need a lab test for every decision you make? 🙂 The caustic lye in detergents clean vaginal fluid out of underwear-and sheets-so why would they not clean cotton flannel? Also, disposables have chemicals and petroleum-based products in them that facilitate bacterial growth-talk about the ick factor! And if a hubby ever told me my vagina was ‘contaminating’ anything, I would hurl a few choice words and then promptly explode! Like Jane said, is he squeamish about contamination during intercourse?