Plastic-free Feminine Hygiene. It had to happen enventually.
Since I had my hysterectomy in June, (Wow! She just jumps right in with the personal stuff, huh?) I have been relieved not to have to deal too much with the issue of plastic-free feminine hygiene products. At the time I started blogging, Crunchy Chicken was running her Diva Cup Challenge and I was happy not to have to consider whether or not to participate.
The Diva Cup, for those who still have not heard about it, is a silicone contraption, kinda like a diaphragm I guess, that you wear inside once a month, rinse out, and reuse. The environmentally-friendly thing about it is that you don’t have any tampon or pad waste each month. But what is silicone?
The Essential Chemistry website says that silicones are “synthetic polymers with a silicon-oxygen backbone similar to that in silicon dioxide (silica), but with organic groups attached to the silicon atoms by C-Si bonds.” It’s the silicon-oxygen backbone that makes it more stable than other plastics. But it’s those organic groups, derived from petrochemicals, that make it similar to other plastics. Is it safe? I don’t know. The makers of the Diva Cup say yes. Feedback from those who can shed light on silicone in general or the Diva Cup specifically is quite welcome.
Personally, I’d rather stick with something more organic. For a while, and before my surgery, I used NatraCare disposable products. The tampons are 100% certified organic, unbleached cotton, and made with or without biodegradable card applicators. The pads and liners are plastic-free, unbleached, plant cellulose and compostable in any backyard composter. I know. I’ve composted them.
Even after the hysterectomy though, I do like to use a liner. (Feel free to move on if this is too much information.) I thought I was doing fine using the NatraCare liners and tossing them in the compost bin until I thought about all the raw materials and energy that go into producing these pads, liners, and tampons. They may be natural. But they are not “no-impact,” are they? So I looked into other alternatives.
LunaPads and GladRags are companies that make reusable, washable cloth menstrual pads and liners. They are sold online and in some stores like Whole Foods and Elephant Pharmacy. I think that tossing a few of these pads into the laundry once a month is probably more eco-friendly than buying new disposables. And much more wallet-friendly too, after the initial purchase.
The problem is that with these pads, you’re pretty much limited to the sizes and shapes available, which, trying not to get too personal, did not satisfy me. I wanted a cloth liner in a different shape.
That’s when I checked one of my favorite websites, Etsy and found a couple of craftswomen who would work with me to customize some handmade liners in the shapes and fabrics that I wanted. The two sellers I’ve worked with are Stella Pads by Ashley Norris (10/2013 Update: Shop seems to be closed) and County Cloth Creations. But there are quite a few Etsy sellers making cloth sanitary products and I’m sure others would be happy to customize pads to your specifications.
The other nice thing about working with the Etsy sellers is that you can communicate how you’d like the package shipped (i.e. no plastic, minimal shipping materials) directly to the craftsperson without having to go through a customer service rep and warehouse and bureaucracy, and you can even check the site to find the sellers closest to your geographical location.
So that’s been my plastic-free feminine hygiene solution. Zero waste liners custom made. What’s yours?
Great post..thanks for sharing. I used commercial pads before and caused me rashes and irritation may be a high amount of plastic added in that. After I read about Laiqa sanitary pads and I start using that pads, Seriously Laiqa pads are amazing these pads are made from organic cotton and are very soft, comfortable and absorbent.
https://www.mylaiqa.com/
@Sarah HI, your great! I would love to make some myself, but was just wondering; did you stuff the pads with anything? what did you do to the pads so that they don’t leak?
We all deserve to feel supported and validated for who we are, what our bodies do, and who we love. Personally I LOVE https://www.menstrualcup.com/gb I swear, I feel so much more carefree because I don’t have to stop and change every 4 hours!
@Rosa its not plastic. Silicone is made from silica – which is a derivative of sand. Its mixed with acetic acid (derived from vinegar) neither will hurt you. Some are mixed with other things, but those are the basic components.
Silicone, is made from silica (sand) and acetic acid (found in vinegar) its not plastic anymore than glass (also derived from silica) would be, which is also why its heat resistant, but the other chemicals that make it flexible would be where the question would come in.
In general, given a choice between silicone and plastic, go with silicone. Of all the things on the beach to worry about, the sand shouldn’t be high on the list.
A lot of silicone is mixed with natural rubber as well. Health wise, silicone is probably much safer than plastic (better to rub sand and vinegar on your skin than petroleum right?) but it doesn’t break down either, though it is easily recycled.
i cant use internal products, at least tampons and cups do not agree with me. but i did try the cloth pads and lets just say they are fantastic. I got some in organic bamboo velour which is really soft stuff. off of etsy which i highly recommend because of the great customer service.
i would be interested to try the sponges but im hesitant, are they hard to take out? are they difficult to sanitize/clean?
I haven’t had personal experience with the sponges so can’t tell you. I love cloth pads, and I love that nowadays there are so many styles to choose from.
I purchased some Glad Rags pads and panty liners a few years ago for myself and my daughter (now 15.) I love the panty liners! The pads are more difficult to prevent leaks. My daughter doesn’t like either because they make her feel like she is leaking on her clothes even when she isn’t. I like the idea of custom made, but must use what I have already purchased. I do like Nutracare pads for wearing to go out places.
I love how many comments there are on here 🙂 Just throwing in my vote (four years later) I am a college student and I proudly use cloth pads that I made myself out of old fabric we had around the house. It really is amazing the difference it has made – makes that time of the month much more bearable, it is a billion times comfier, and is not creating any plastic crap or costing me money! And it is surprisingly not weird to have to rinse out the pads and everything – feels way more natural and I don’t mind at all! I can say right now – any babies in my future will totally be cloth diapered!
you are awesome. im a college student too (or was, im between under grad and grad lol) and everyone of my female buddies was disgusted with this idea of cloth… sadly. because cloth is so much better!
I would like to add my voice to those in favour of cups. I have had a Lunette (a Finnish made menstrual cup similar to the Diva) for about half a year, and wish I’d discovered it a decade ago!
I believe it has several advantages over any other methods:
1) It avoids all the waste associated with disposables
2) Once you have one, you avoid the ongoing costs of disposables
3) It is much quicker and easier, and uses less water than washing out reusable pads (which I have also used)
4) It doesn’t leak!!
5) You only have to empty it once or at the most twice a day – in the shower is the easiest
The other thing I would like to point out is that silicon is not a plastic, it is an element, and one which is known to be very stable (ie. it is difficult to get it to react with other chemicals) which is why it is used. Yes, there is a certain amount of energy and raw materials which go into its production, but this is the case for any solution to the monthly problem.
In using one Lunette, I may be saving 2000 tampons* from being produced and flushed away. I believe this to be the most startling reason for choosing to use it.
Whether you call a silicone cup plastic or not, you have to decide the reasons why you are reducing your plastic use in this case. There are 2 as far as I can see:
1) To reduce the demand for oil
2) To reduce the impact plastics have, both hormonally on humans, and at the end of their useful lives as waste in landfill and waterways.
I am sure that the amount of raw material used to make one cup is less than that of a thousand tampons, especially once you take transport into consideration, and it certainly wins in terms of waste reduction.
* For the sake of calculation: 1 period = 4 tampons x 4 days = 16 tampons; 12 periods per year = ~200 tampons. If a Lunette lasts 10 years = 2000 tampons not used! That’s a lot of money spent, resources used and waste produced. I would rather wear the organic cotton as t-shirts and underpants than use it only once for tampons!
“I am sure that the amount of raw material used to make one cup is less than that of a thousand tampons,”. In addition, the cup saves on washing costs of re-useable pads (though if making your own, old socks are a good source). And how many times have you seen “Out of order” on a public washroom stall?
“There is a monster beneath the streets of London, menacing the East End underworld.
What has been named the Whitechapel fatberg is a rock-solid agglomeration of fat, disposable wipes, diapers, condoms and tampons.” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/world/europe/uk-london-fatberg.html
This is my second cycle as a cup-and-cloth-pads user, and I think it’s fantastic.
if you really want “the convenience and cleanliness of disposable pads and tampons” but without the full trash basket or the monthly cost, I highly recommend this route. The cup has a learning curve (mine’s a Mooncup), but once you’ve got it, it’s quick, easy, and leak-free – and completely painless. I made my pads, so they’re the size and shape I want (and pretty, too!), comfy, and probably more sanitary than a plastic pad. They were also virtually free to make.
So if you’re on the fence about reusable pads and cups, here’s one more encouragement to give them a try. There are very supportive communities (try LiveJournal) for these products – come over and ask questions. 🙂
I love Lunapads! I started by switching to the diva cup, but I ordered it from Lunapads and got two reusable panyliners with it. I had had no idea how much more comfortable those pieces of cotton would be. I love them.
It took me awhile to get used to the diva cup, and I even gave up using it for awhile, so I got more lunapads in the meantime and I will never, ever go back. It just makes too much sense. Why use a disposable product when the alternative is more comfortable, more cost effective, and better for the environment all round?
And once I got used to the cup I never needed to dump it out and clean it during the day. It just goes in in the morning and comes out (and goes back in) at night. I have a reasonably heavy flow, and I’ve only come close to filling it once, and that was after it was in all night and most of the next day due to extenuating circumstances (not recommended use of the cup, for sure)
Also they have this nifty product for discreetly wiping out the cup:
Not helpful for those of us avoiding plastic, since they are packaged in a plastic bag. But potentially nifty.
Also, for me, it’s a local company. And I like that.
I like the custom-made idea too though. That’s sweet.
I LOVE my Femmecup! Whether silicon is like plastic or better for the environment, most cups are said to last 7-10 years. Considering that is an average of 84-120 cycles, that is still a lot of plastic saved for those who prefer to not go the cloth pad route. I highly recommend https://menstrual-cups.livejournal.com/ for those considering a cup. There are so many different kinds and many questions to ask.
Hi Green Cat. Seventh generation drives me crazy with the amount of plastic they use! NatraCare uses no plastic at all. The liners come in a plain cardboard boxed, which I believe is made from recycled paper, although I don’t have one in front of me to check. And the liners themselves are not wrapped in anything. I haven’t tried the maxi pads or tampons, but I’m guessing they are not wrapped in any plastic either.