Wear, discard, wear a new one, discard again. This vicious cycle of using disposable pads and tampons is convenient. But before you bag another pack of a single-use period product, there’s something that you need to know. According to a report by the Central Pollution Control Board, approximately 113,000 tonnes of menstrual waste was dumped in India’s landfills in the year 2018-19 alone. The worst part? About 90% of this waste was plastic that takes almost a century or two to degrade! The good part? It’s never too late to make amends. All you need to do is to switch to eco-friendly menstrual products for sustainable menstruation and do your bit for the environment. Here’s everything you need to know about them:
What Are Eco-Friendly Menstrual Products?
Broadly speaking, eco-friendly menstrual products are period aids that are not harmful to the environment. They can be reusable in nature like menstrual cups, discs, and reusable pads that can be washed and used for years at length. Disposable period aids can also be eco-friendly if they’re devoid of harmful materials like plastic and chlorine-based dyes/ perfumes. Biodegradable pads and tampons are a great example of disposable eco-friendly menstrual products.
Why Should You Switch To Eco-Friendly Menstrual Products?
Sustainable menstruation is the need of the hour. Here’s why you must support the movement:
They Help Reduce Waste
According to a 2007 study, an urban woman uses 5,000-10,000 plastic-based disposable feminine hygiene products like pads and tampons in her lifetime. Each of these will take up to 800 years to decompose! So you can imagine the amount of waste we’re generating by being careless about our period product choices. However, switching to a reusable period product can bring this number down drastically.
They Help Decrease Your Carbon Footprint
Carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of your personal activities. Throughout their lifecycle, plastics emit harmful chemicals and greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming. These emissions are also hazardous to terrestrial and marine animals as well as to human beings. So switching to plastic-free eco-friendly menstrual products can be a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and do your bit for the planet.
They’re Pocket-Friendly
Reusable menstrual products may seem expensive at first. But if you look at the larger picture, you will realise that washing and using the same product works out to be way cheaper than investing in packs of single-use period aids.
They’re Healthier For You
Most pads and tampons available in the market are made of synthetic materials and toxic products. They come in contact with the sensitive areas of the body where the skin is more porous and absorbent than the other body parts. This means that these chemicals and toxins can easily enter the body and lead to a host of health complications like hormonal dysfunction, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, and even cancer. That’s why it’s advisable to use only products made of medical-grade, non-reactive, and skin-friendly materials. Eco-friendly menstrual products keep you covered in all these areas.
Sirona Recommends Best Eco-Friendly Menstrual Products
Sirona Rash-Free Pads
Sirona’s Rash-Free Pads are a blessing in disguise for the environment as well as your sensitive genital skin. They’re ultra-thin, breathable, and devoid of any toxic chemicals like chlorine, parabens, and artificial colours. They’re highly absorbent and provide long-lasting, leak-proof protection. They come in two sizes–L and XL and keep you covered–literally.
Sirona Reusable Pads
These reusable pads are designed to give you a contoured, comfy fit and provide long-lasting protection from leakages. They’re made with highly-absorbent, breathable material and come with a snap-button closure for easy use. You can wash and reuse them for up to 60 times.
Sirona Menstrual Cup
Made with soft medical-grade, skin-friendly silicone, the Sirona Menstrual Cup is a great eco-friendly menstrual product. It can be folded into any shape of your choice and inserted minus any hassle. With a capacity of up to 28 ML, it offers leak-proof protection for eight hours straight and keeps you comfy all day. Additionally, the cup’s got a stem at the base that makes it easily-accessible during removal. Available in three different sizes (Small, medium, and large), this cup will fit you like a glove and is sure to change your period experience forever.
Sirona Non-Applicator Tampons
Sirona’s Non-Applicator Tampons are made with highly-absorbent natural fibres that are very friendly to the skin and the environment. It has curved grooves for extra comfort and leak-proof protection and comes with a ‘twist-turn opening’ for easy insertion and removal for beginners.
Folks, you can do your bit for the environment with these teeny-meeny changes in your period stack. So switch to eco-friendly menstrual products and spread the word. Cheers to a green period!
Featured Image: Pexels
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Busting Myths About Menstrual Cups: Planning to switch to menstrual cups? Let’s bust some myths about them first.
6 Weird Things We All Do During Our Periods: Here are some relatable period things we’re all guilty of doing
How to prepare your Daughter for her First Period: Here’s how to help your daughter glide through her first shark week ever.
Period Essentials: My Top 5 Period Must-Haves!: These period essentials will make your life easier during that time of the month.
