We’re not good at talking about periods. Even though they’ve been a natural part of life for 50 percent of us for more than three decades, they’re rarely discussed. That suits the makers of traditional disposable period products just fine. If we’re not talking about periods, we’re probably not talking about menstrual cups, period panties, and cloth pads. Until someone talks about these cheaper, often more environmentally friendly alternatives, we’re more likely to keep buying the things we’ve always bought.

However, alternative menstrual products offer many benefits, says Irish environmental organisation Voice. In their workshops for schools, Voice shows how reusable menstrual products can be more convenient, cheaper and better for the planet. Their workshop “No plastic. Period.” normalises reusable and plastic-free menstrual products instead of disposable ones.

Cheaper periods?

According to Period Poverty in Ireland, a 2021 report published by the Department of Health, the cost of period products per person is estimated at €96.72 per year.

Tampons can be the most expensive item. A well-known brand that comes individually wrapped and with a plastic applicator costs 35 cents per tampon in a major Irish supermarket. No wonder that around 24 percent of women in Ireland and 35 percent of 15- to 24-year-olds suffer from period poverty, according to the Healthy Ireland Survey 2022.

There are cheaper, more environmentally friendly alternatives, says Voice. Take menstrual cups, for example. You only need one, it’s reusable month after month and lasts up to 10 years. Inserted into the vagina, a cup catches your period like a tampon. The cup can be emptied in the toilet and rinsed clean in the sink before being reinserted. You can also wear them for up to 12 hours. They cost between €12 and €28 – that’s a fraction of the cost of period products over 10 years, about €970.

Trying a new product may seem like an unnecessary extra effort this time of the month, but the savings are compelling.

There are also period panties – these you wear during your period like normal panties. They have a thin, moisture-absorbing gusset. They are leak-proof and hygienic too, says Voice. Panties for heavy flow absorb the equivalent of four tampons, meaning you can wear them for up to 12 hours. When it’s time to change the panties, rinse them in the sink until the water runs clear, then wash them in the washing machine at 30 degrees.

A pair of period panties costs €20 for a pack of three in an Irish supermarket, or €6.66 per pair.

Each pair can be used for up to five years.

Go green

If cost isn’t convincing, you have to think about the environment. Disposable menstrual products are the fifth most commonly discarded product on European beaches, says Voice.

More than half of tampon users throw the products down the toilet instead of throwing them in the trash, according to a survey of more than 2,000 tampon users by hygiene service provider PHS. More than half of those who threw tampons down the toilet in the last two years were unaware that they should not be thrown down the toilet.

Tampons, sanitary pads and panty liners end up in our waterways. According to Zero Waste Europe, a menstrual pad is made up of 90 percent plastic. According to Voice, a pack of 14 menstrual pads from a major brand contains the same amount of plastic as five shopping bags. If you use tampons, sanitary pads or panty liners, always throw them in the trash.

Poisonous

Many panty liners, sanitary towels and tampons contain plastic, adhesives, artificial fragrances and chemicals known to disrupt hormones or be linked to heart disease, infertility and cancer, according to a report by Zero Waste Europe. Traces of dioxin, which is produced when products are bleached white, as well as pesticides and herbicides can be found in menstrual products, it says.

And not all period panties are squeaky clean – some brands contain unnecessary amounts of silver, which can have health consequences and harm the environment, according to a 2023 study by consumer organisation Which?

According to British charity Women’s Environmental Network, there is an urgent need to regulate existing and new period products.

“A complete lack of regulation and transparency means that our vaginas have once again become testing grounds for unnecessary and potentially harmful additives,” it says.

Regularly avoid any products containing “odor-inhibiting” additives, silver or “antimicrobial” substances, which are sometimes listed as “branded products,” the advice says.

She is calling for a Menstrual Health, Dignity and Sustainability Act in the UK. Perhaps we should write to our local MPs and demand the same?