Wowzers now this one's a doozy! We're going to talk both sustainability AND budget in this entry so feel free to skip to the bottom of each section for the summary.
I stopped having periods about 2 years ago about 6 months into first using a Mirena intrauterine system (IUS). My choice of this contraceptive was two-fold. Firstly, I was very forgettful and taking a daily pill really didn't work out. Secondly, the cost of the Mirena was $30 and the cost to insert it was $80 - plus it lasted for 5 years so it was a very economical choice.
For women who do get their periods every month, I remember how frustrating it was both having to constantly wear tampons or pads AND that they cost such a ridiculous amount of money. I have had partners in the past who have helped pay for the monthly cost of the pill or condoms (although for the most part this issue was always brought up by me), however a woman's period seems to remain primarily the responsibility of women.
It has only been since January 2019 that the 10% tax on women's sanitary products was removed by State treasurers in Australia. Before this date, feminine hygiene items were considered "non-essential" items unlike condoms, suncreen and nicotine patches. While this bullshit tax that was in place for 18 years is not the topic of this entry, I certainly can't bring myself to write anything on the topic of sanitary products without needing to reinstate what utter bull crap it was.
Back to sustainability, both environmental and economic.
A pack of pads is (on average) $4 for 10 pads. The price of tampons and size of the packs ranges drastically however is (on average) $5 for 16 tampons. While every woman has a different product need depending on their body (flow, duration etc), for the purpose of maths, let's say that a woman uses two pads/tampons each day and one pad per night for the duration of a 5 day period. To make it even easier, let's just pretend all women only use pads.
If a woman started her period when she was 12 and assuming she had reasonably consistent periods each month throughout the duration of her lifetime until menopause at 50, she would have had 456 periods, at a total approximate cost of $2,736. And that's just the price of the products used to "contain" the period, let alone the additional costs of pain relief for cramping, acne treatments and even the cost to replace that pair of jeans your unfortunately timed period destroyed.
While that figure is ridiculously huge (honestly I didn't think it would crack the thousands), what's worse is the number of used sanitary items that are going directly into landfill over our life time; 6,840. And more scarily, women make up over half the population of Australia. In 2018 there were 12.6 million women in Australia and THAT makes a huge number of used sanitary products entering our landfill.
Sanitary pads and tampons are made from a combination of synthetical materials (such as plastics and rayon) and cotton. While the cotton portion may compose quickly, the plastic shell and silicon paper can take 500 to 1,000 years to breakdown.
In summary, single use sanitary items are terrible for the environment and, while they won't break the bank, will cost you nearly $3,000 over your lifetime.
So, numbers and costs aside, what are the options when it comes to sustainability. Luckily for women these days, there are actually many alternatives to single use sanitary items!
Biodegradable Sanitary Pads
While the jury is still out on biodegradable tampons (don't be fooled by brands that claim the "organic" status), biodegradable sanitary pads are a thing! Bamboo Babe is one such brand that sell a panty liner, night pad and two flow specific pads. Made from 100% bamboo fibers, both the pads and their packaging are fully compostable and biodegradable!! They cost a bit more than regular pads at $5.50 per pack and are available both online and in stores in some suburbs in Australia.
As far as economics go, this option isn't one that improves the situation. At $5.50 a pack, your lfietime spend would increase by over $1,000.
In summary, while this is a alternative that is sustainable for the environment, it might not be sustainable for your financial situation until these brands become more main-stream.
Period Proof Underwear
While period proof underwear seems to only have recently become popular, the concept has been around for nearly 40 years. More well known brands such as Thinx, Dear Kate and Pretty Clever Pants are being promoted as a sustainable alternative to single use sanitary items HOWEVER do not be fooled. No period underwear can replace the need for other protection, especially if you are one of the one in five women who experience heavy menstrual bleeding.
In terms of the cost... Let's assume for a 5 day period you use one pair of underwear to replace your day routine and one pair to replace your night routine. Let's also assume that you're not always going to be able to wash that underwear and reuse within your period, so you're going to need at least 10 pairs. Those 10 pairs (if cared for correctly) could last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. If we assume best case scenario, you will need a replacement set of period proof underwear every two years which means over the lifetime of an average period, women need 190 pairs of underwear. The cost of these items is anywhere from $30-$70 per pair (not including shipping), so at an average of $50/pair, this alternative will cost $9,500 over your lifetime. Wowzers!
In addition, period proof underwear is NOT made from sustainable material. Several brands SPECIFICALLY state that they do not use plastic films or liners however the materials they are using (polyester fibers such as nylon) are NO better. Polyester CANNOT be recycled and is not biodegradable, meaning that these period proof undies will take up to 200 years to decompose.
In summary, this is an alternative that is neither financially sustainable OR good for the environment.
Menstrual Cups
Made from silicone or rubber, menstrual cups are an increasingly popular replacement for single use sanitary products (there are too many brands to name). These cups are inserted into the vagina and collect menstrual blood throughout the period, removed and rinsed every 12 hours. I have never tried using one as the concept always felt a little icky. I'll be honest, pulling a cup out of my vagina while I'm at work and rinsing in the bathroom sink doesn't entirely float my boat.
However let's look at this in detail. A reusable menstrual cup (note that disposal brands do exist) costs around $50 and lasts around 2 years before needing to be replaced. The cup will last your entire period as it can easily be rinsed between uses, with a thorough sterilization at the end. This means your lifetime spend on sanitary items will only cost you $950!
Unfortunately, if those cups go into your general waste bin, the silicone they are made from does not break down quickly; it will take up to 500 years to be gone from the environment.
In summary, while this product is good for your pocket and better for the environment that single use sanitary items, until they are recyclable it's not perfect yet.
Reusable Sanitary Pads
I didn't even realise these existed! Depending on the brand (e.g. Anytime, hannahpad) reusable sanitary pads are made from cotton or bamboo fibres and have an outer layer made from polyurethane laminate (PUL) fabric. They last approximately 2-3 years (depending on care) and will gradually stain over use. Depending on the brand, they cost approximately $15 each and are meant to be replaced every 3-4 hours! Based on those requirements and that, in a similar situation to the period proof underwear, women do not have the time to wash their pads for the duration of the period, at least 25 pads will be needed per period. Assuming these last 2 years (before the staining makes the wearer want to replace the product), the total lifetime cost of switching to this product will be $7,125.
Assuming you are able to stomach pulling apart your pad at the end of its life cycle, the bamboo/cotton padding is biodegradable/compostable but the plastic outer liner must go into the general waste bin where it will take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
In summary, this product will cost you a lot more than single use sanitary pads, however if you are able to properly dispose of it at the end of its 2 year life, it has a smaller impact on the environment.
THREE Take Home Tips
Right now, the cheapest period product is the menstrual cup BUT while it's cheaper than single use sanitary products, it will still have an impact on the environment when disposed of.
Right now, the most environmentally friendly option (and second best economically) are biodegradable sanitary pads, however this will cost you slightly more $$.
Reusable pads and "period-proof" underwear are more expensive than any other option and neither product is fully biodegradable.
Obliguatory plea for comments: do you have strong feelings about any of these products?
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