Are you looking for a way to lessen your carbon footprint? Be more sustainable in honor of Earth Day or just cut down on costs and household trash? Switching to reusable period products is a great place to start!
Are Disposable Period Products Bad for the Environment?
Every year, it is estimated over 6 billion disposable period products end up in the landfill in North America alone.
Much like diapers, we only have estimates for how long disposable pads may take to break down. Many put the environmental cost at 500 – 800 years. And plastics like modern disposable tampon applicators never full break down.
So what can you do to lessen the environmental impact of your period?
Switch to reusable period products.
Whether you choose discs, cups, or reusable cloth pads, there are loads of reusable period products out there. Even switching part time can have a big impact. You may choose to use cloth pads around your home but disposable tampons when out and about. You don’t have to be perfectly sustainable to have a big impact on the environment and your wallet.
Other benefits of switching to cloth pads
Not only do disposable period products add up in the landfill, they can also add up in your pocketbook. Over time, reusable period products are more cost effective than disposables. Disposable products are designed to be purchased over and over again as you literally throw them in the garbage after each use.
The longer you use a reusable product, the greater impact it will have on your carbon footprint. Much like artificial Christmas trees, these sustainable products are designed to be used for a minimum number of years to offset the creation, shipping, and eventual decomposition. Unlike your artificial Christmas tree, however, our cloth pads are made with bamboo and microfiber, the only true plastics being on the snap closures, so you can rest assured they will eventually break down faster and more completely than your plastic disposable tampon applicator.
Added bonuses include: comfort, breathability, and a better understanding of your cycle. Just to name a few things our Hyps users report!
How to get started with cloth period pads
We recommend trying multiple reusable options and finding what works for you. That’s why we offer a trial kit for our reusable period products. So you aren’t investing in a system if you don’t like it. Give it a try for part of your next cycle, try other reusable period products too, and then invest fully in what works for you!
What switch are you making this Earth Day to be more sustainable? Let us know in the comments below!
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