5 ways to bleed clean: Sustainable menstruation

Your time of the month is certainly never pleasant but it doesn’t have to be environmentally damaging as menstruation can be sustainable. Improper disposal and using the wrong products can turn them into our planets’ enemies. A single-use pad takes about 500-800 years to decompose because the absorbent plastic used is non-biodegradable. On an average, a woman uses some 3,500 pads in her lifetime. When we multiply that number with the 355 million menstruating women who use disposable sanitary pads, the end result is horrifying.

Sanitary waste management is a mammoth task, and environmental advocates have been trying to familiarise people with period products alternatives for years now. The sustainable menstruation movement talks about using environmentally friendly and responsible alternatives during your cycle and creating awareness on ways to manage your sanitation needs better. It is high time we break the wheel and choose better, now that we know better.

Here is our list curated especially for you, keeping in mind the most effective ways to manage your period responsibly and more economically.

1. Reusable pads

As the name suggests, Reusable pads are cloth pads that can be used more than once. Depending on your menstrual flow, they last up to 4-5 hours and absorb blood well. While the idea to switch to cloth or hemp from plastic might seem daunting, the benefits outweigh the cost. 

The most significant advantage of using reusable pads is that they do not have to be discarded after a single use and because they allow your skin to breathe, there is no way you will develop rashes down there either—a win-win.

2. Tampons

Single-use Tampons are one of the worst offenders of our environment. Yes, you read that right. Tampons that have to be disposed or flushed into the sea are more harmful than you think. But then why is there an uproar for shifting to tampons? Cotton based reusable tampons are the reason why. 

Organic tampons are made with natural cotton! Natural cotton cultivation works with nature, not against it, according to the four natural farming standards: environment, well-being, decency, and care. Nature’s equilibrium is noticed and regarded. Hurtful herbicides and pesticides aren’t utilised, so risky synthetics don’t filter into streams, and soil life is all around ensured. Natural cotton additionally takes up less energy and water to develop, thereby reducing the assets required to make regular individual items, similar to tampons.

3. Menstrual cups

The real showstoppers to the game of sustainable menstruation is none other than menstrual cups! Small bell-shaped devices with a stem made of medical-grade silicone or latex, that are inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual blood, Menstrual cups are the most cost-effective environmentally friendly period products available out there. The initial investment in these is high but they can be used for around 12 hours at once, require minimal water and sanitation and will last for around 6 years if taken proper care.

4. Period underwear

Period underwear or “Period panties” are reusable underpants that are made from absorbent multilayer fibres. They look like normal underwear but work actively to keep away moisture from your skin. They are easy-to-use, and comfortable; you wear them like a normal undergarment on the days of your period and its many small filaments trap the liquid to give you better protection. The last layer of nylon and lycra adds another layer and sits well on your skin. 

However, it is important to wash them every 12 hours (or more, depending on the brand being used) and change them regularly. Since they can be washed and reused multiple times they make for an ideal sustainable alternative for sustainable menstruation.

5. Organic single-use pads

Lastly, if you are still unsure, you can simply switch to organic pads. There are a lot of new brands that have entered the market and have come up with organic pads that are relatively easier to use and dispose. 

They are usually made of a core cellulose fibre, maximising their absorbency and comprise of manmade cotton fibres, allowing the skin to breathe more and prevent allergies or rashes.

Working long days with cramps is never easy, but working long days with cramps wearing uncomfortable sanitary napkins sounds like a terribly uncomfortable day! Make your life easier and healthier by taking these small steps today. It is time to bleed free and bleed clean.

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