How I made my period plastic free.
As a woman in my late twenties I’m not shy about talking about periods, we have them and always will so there is no point making them taboo. When I started moving towards living a more ethical and sustainable lifestyle I didn’t turn my thoughts to sanitary products until quite late on despite how easy the changes are. I want to preface this post by acknowledging the fact that I know i’m incredibly privileged to be able to change my habits and not everyone is.
Pads, tampons and panty liners including their packaging and wrapping generate more than 200,000 tonnes of waste per year, and they all contain plastic – in fact, pads are around 90% plastic! So as soon as I discovered this I knew that i needed to swap out pads for something more sustainable. I looked at all the options that were out there with the most popular being the Moon Cup but I just couldn’t get on board with it – I couldn’t even cope with tampons so it was an immediate no go! When period pants came on the scene my first thought was ‘bleurg’ bleeding into your own pants no thank you! However after not finding any other solutions and speaking to a few friends I was convinced to give them a go.
There are quite a few pricey options on the market but I found Cheeky Wipes (who I buy my re-usable cotton pads from) sell them for a reasonable price and in multiple styles, sizes and colours. I ordered the sports style – classic bikini briefs which are made of cotton & elastane with a waterproof outer layer of Oeko-Tex certified TPU. With 4 layers to give you maximum protection but also keeping you comfortable. I ordered mine in a size 6 – 8 and was almost excited about my period arriving.
The day arrived and I eagerly popped on my pants and then tentatively went about my day and it wasn’t ‘gross’ at all, plus I didn’t feel sweaty or like I was wearing a nappy which lets face it is what happens sometimes when you’re wearing a pad. I changed my pants halfway through the day and popped them in a bag, inside my bag and carried on feeling fresh as a daisy. Came home popped them on a 30 wash and they were good as new.
If re-usable pants still don’t sound like your sort of thing then Cheeky Wipes also do re-usable pads. I find these a bit too thick but if you have a heavier flow and don’t feel like the pants will be enough (although they hold up to 2.5 tampons worth) then I would recommend them – I have one in my bag in case of an emergency. Without trying to sound dramatic period pants have changed my period and I am so relieved to not be contributing anymore plastic waste.
Will you be trying out period pants?
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