Sustainable living is all about incorporating small eco-friendly changes into your day-to-day routine. However small, any change can make a large environmental impact. Limiting your consumption of single-use items is one of the simplest ways to practice sustainability. The majority of menstrual products like tampons, pads, and panty liners are thrown away after one use.
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While there is nothing wrong with using these products on occasion, single-use period products should not be your only option. With the number of sustainable options available, there is no reason to continue buying single-use period products. There are reusable period panties. There are reusable pads. There are reusable menstrual cups.
Personally, I have found great success with menstrual cups. As someone who mainly used single-use tampons, a menstrual cup was a simple transition. While it does take a couple of cycles to get used to, making the switch was a great decision overall.
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Apart from the environmental advantages, a large perk is that a menstrual cup can be worn for up to twelve hours. Tampons can be worn for up to eight hours; any longer could put you at risk for Toxic Shock Syndrome. Since tampons can only be worn for eight hours, it is not recommended to use overnight. With menstrual cups, you can feel secure wearing it to bed since you only need to remove/clean it every 12 hours.
Menstrual cups are also cost-effective. While the price depends on the brand you purchase, they typically range from $15 to $30. While this is still higher than the average box of tampons, a menstrual cup can be used for about two years. It will essentially pay for itself with all the money you would save from not purchasing single-use period products.
Regardless of whether or not you make the switch to menstrual cups, it is important to at least be conscious of the environmental impact of your actions. While single-use items can be convenient, they are detrimental to our environment. Making the switch to a reusable item—like menstrual cups—can make a drastic impact.
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