The amount of junk that we produce every year in our own planet is unacceptable. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), an UN’s environment agency, the garbage production will increase from 1,3 billion tons to 2,2 billion tons until 2025. That is eight years from now and will certainly pass as fast as we blink our eyes!
We all know that recycle and use alternative energy sources, if we give our max in this cause, are clear ways to recover the Earth. But how we, women, can specifically contribute to change this situation? Using alternative methods to deal with our menstrual flow!
Our disposable pads and tampons are extremely aggressive to the environment, from its production to its disposal, and lots of them can cause allergies due to the chemicals it contains. Do you want to cause good to your own body plus help our planet? They look a little bit expensive at first sight, but they last longer, it’s totally viable and worthy to use them. Here is a list with some of these alternative methods:
Menstrual cup
Credits: Pinterest
The menstrual cup really looks like a tiny cup and it is made of hypoallergenic silicone, in other words, doesn’t cause allergies. It should be well placed (there are lots of videos and infrographics that explains how to do it) in the vaginal canal and you have to wash it and put it back to each period of 4 to 8 hours (the ideal is that you never use it for more than 12 hours).
To remove it, you just need to insert your finger into the vaginal canal, press the cup to release the air and pull it. When your cycle is over you have to soak the menstrual cup in hot water and save it again to use it next time. Specialists says it can be reusable for a period between 3 to 5 years, so you won’t be discarding it at each exchange, differently of how you do with the disposable pad. Here in Brazil you can find them in different sizes in Morada da Floresta and Inciclo websites.
Cloth menstrual pad
Credits: Pinterest
It has the same shape of a disposable sanitary pad, but the improvement to your skin and the planet is unique. Made of cloth, these pads should be changed, on average, every 4 hours and when you wash them you should leave them in a bucket with cold water, without soap, soaking until the blood decants. Before washing them in the machine, you can use the water from the bucket to water plants!
When washing in the machine or by hands, use coconut’s bar soap or powder, no bleaches, so that the life of your cloth pad will be longer. Here in Brazil you can find simple or fun models in the Morada da Floresta website.
Period panties
Credits: Pantys
One of the most terrifying situations that woman have afraid during their period is dirty panties because of blood! But imagine a pantie made to be dirty! Yes, period panties exists! They look like a normal pantie, lots of them are really beautiful, but are made with a specif material that absorbs all the blood. To wash it, you just need to put them in a little bag and throw it up at a washing machine normally with other clothes. Here in Brazil you can find them at Pantys.