If I am serious about tackling single use plastic then period products are going to have to be high on the agenda. Tampons, panty liners and pads all have plastic in them, especially the pads which are a shocking 90% plastic!
In order to try the zero waste option I have therefore ordered some reusable pads and period pants, but the supplier I used has been overwhelmed by demand and so I am still waiting for them to arrive. In the meantime I couldn’t bring myself to keep using plastic products and so I have gone for the quick and easy change to natural biodegradable products. (Now I know I could always try the menstrual cup but I am not sure that is for me just yet.)
Once I started looking for alternatives, I was surprised at how many natural product ranges are easily available. They are not only plastic free, but also use organic cotton (or other natural environmentally friendly materials), promise to be chlorine, bleach and perfume free as well using biodegradable packaging film and recyclable cardboard packaging.
Of the shops I looked in, Sainsburys has the ‘Yoni’ brand, Tesco has ‘TOTM’ and Waitrose has ‘Hey Girls’ which also donates a box of pads every time you buy one.
However I have now tried them all and have to say that natracare is definitely my favourite range. It is plastic, perfume and chlorine free, as well as not using any synthetics or super absorbents made from petrochemicals. So not only is it better for your body but the environment too. You can check its website for stockists but the main ones are Holland and Barret, Waitrose (though my local one is always out of stock), Ocado and Amazon.
Now in terms of disposal I have also found a new product called Fab Little Bag which is an opaque biodegradable disposal bag. The company that makes them is hoping that they will help sanitary products be disposed of properly by encouraging people that currently flush their products to use this instead. I normally put mine in the bin but have ordered the starter pack of these bags as putting a biodegradable product in a plastic bin bag just seems counterproductive.
I am definitely going to stick to the natracare products and when my reusable pads and pants arrive I will test them out. The thought of going back to using the plastic products is just not an option for me now that I know the facts, it is just a shame it has taken me this long to realise. Hopefully the younger generation will follow the non-plastic, natural route sooner than I did.
If you need a bit more motivation to make a change please have a read of the statistics on the natracare website, it is sobering.
https://www.natracare.com/…/turning-the-tide-on-plastic-pe…/