Why are eco-friendly period care choices important?
According to a study published by Harvard technology, every year, over 45 billion products related to periods are thrown in the garbage. The conventional period products like plastic sanitary napkins take more than 700 years to decompose, causing a huge carbon footprint, pollution and increase of toxicity.
How are menstrual cups beneficial for reducing menstrual waste?
Right now, menstrual cups are the period product that causes the least harm to the environment. They are made of medical based silicon and can be used for a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10 years. A study by Stanford under their gendered innovation scheme highlighted that menstrual cups produce 0.04 kg of carbon equivalent compared to the massive 5.3 kg carbon equivalent produced by sanitary napkins. By switching to a menstrual cup, a person would save almost 30 kg of menstrual waste in 5 years. Furthermore, they are also cost effective! On an average, every menstruator has 420 periods, which is equivalent to bleeding for 7 years. Therefore, menstrual cups allow to save 60% of the money that a person would normally spend on sanitary napkins.
Not comfortable using menstrual cups. reusable cotton pads?
Inserting and removing menstrual cups requires a bit of learning. So if you are uncomfortable doing that, reusable cotton pads are a great alternative! One reusable cotton pad is equivalent to 75 plastic sanitary pads, reducing 3 - 4 months of waste each time. They also have several other benefits like being extremely soft, comfortable, natural, no chemicals, no toxins and more healthy.
What's the proper way of disposing of a pad?
If you don’t have the choice to use a menstrual cup or reusable cotton pad, you must dispose off sanitary napkins properly. The used sanitary napkin must be wrapped completely in a newspaper and marked with a red dot. This allows it to be treated as medical/chemical waste which can then be disposed off in the appropriate manner.
What are the health risks associated with menstrual cups and bamboo filtered pads?
No studies have shown any risks associated with menstrual cups or bamboo filtered pads. People using it for 7 years and more have not had any complaints about it. However, further research is required.
