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Living sustainably means striving to reduce the waste I produce. That means slowly replacing disposable products in my home with sustainable and reusable products. First to go was disposable diapers and then it was time to time to say goodbye to disposable pads and tampons and hello to a zero waste period.
Are Disposable Pads and Tampons that bad?
- Every woman will use approximately 12,000 pads or tampons in her life! Think about the garbage!!!!!
- Tampons and pads contain human waste therefore cannot be recycled.
- One pad has the same environmental impact as 4 plastic bags…YIKES
- Some disposable pad companies use dioxin to bleach the cotton on their pads (this can cause serious health risks)
- Scented pads and tampons have been known to cause infertility
- Tampons are known to cause Toxic Shock Syndrome (Which can be deadly)
Zero Waste Period: MENSTRUAL CUPS
A menstrual cup is a small cup that you insert into your vagina and it catches and collects your flow.
More info:
- 12 hours of leak free protection
- After removal just dump the blood in the toilet and reinsert (wash if needed)
- Wash with soap and water twice a day (I wash mine when I wake up in the morning and when I go to bed)
- So comfortable!
- Great for overnight
- Will last up to 10 years
- Because they seal around you vaginal walls you can go swimming, do yoga, or do random head stands while wearing one
- Depending on the model they can hold about 1 oz of liquid (which is a lot)
- At the end of your cycle you should wash with soap and water and boil it
Inserting and Removing Menstrual Cups:
Check out this video HERE to learn how to properly insert your cup!
There are so many types of menstrual cups out there. It can get pretty confusing. If want to know which cup is best for you and your body click HERE to take a quiz.
I use a DIVA CUP and I love it!
The Diva Cup comes in 3 different models:
0 – 18 years old and under
1 – Pre childbirth / Under 30
2 – Post childbirth / Over 30
Shop Menstrual cups on WELL.ca , Amazon.ca, & Amazon.com .
Only use a menstrual cup that is made from medical grade materials.
Zero Waste Period: CLOTH PADS
I was never much of a disposable pad fan. I found them bulky and uncomfortable.
Cloth pads and liners are SO comfortable.
I love them.
They are a great choice for any regular pad users or anyone who is experiencing postpartum bleeding.
More info:
- They have wings that snap into place
- They will Last about 5 years
- Made without any pesticides or herbicides
- Cloth pads breathe better than disposables
- Cute prints
- Once the pad starts to feel wet against your skin change it for a clean one
- Fold easy for storage
How do you wash them?
1. After use store them in a small wet bag ( shop amazon.ca , shop amazon.com )
2. Wash your pads once your cycle is over or as you need them
3. Hand rinse in cold water or do a pre rinse cycle in the washer
4. Wash them in the washing machine on cold or warm ( hot water sets stains)
5. Tumble dry on low or hang dry
I hand rinse mine if necessary and wash them with my other clothes.
Cloth pads can get stained. Blood stains. If you don’t want stains you could try a stain treatment.
My Favourite Cloth Pads are HANNAH PADS!
Hannah Pads are made of unbleached cotton and come in many different sizes and patterns.
Shop Cloth Pads on amazon.com and amazon.ca !
I am LOVING my Menstrual cup and cloth pads! Half the time I forget I even have my period! I will never go back to tampons or disposable pads!
It makes me feel good to know I am not producing an excessive amount of waste every single month!
Read more of my sustainable living posts here!
