Can Switching to Reusable Sanitary Pads Help the Environment?

Not only protect your health and save money but also help the environment all by switching to
reusable sanitary pads. Is it that easy? Let’s take a look how does reusable sanitary pads help the
environment.

The Plastic in our Oceans

“Ban the bag! Ban the Straw!”

Are the shouts we are hearing from environmental activists worldwide. Our world and oceans are
drowining in plastics and organisations and companies are continually depending on single use
packaging, and plastic products as a cheap and disposable option. Our earth deserves better, and
our bodies deserve better. Being surrounded by synthetic materials produced by chemicals, which
end up in landfills is not the kind of future we want to live in.

There are many things you can do to decrease your plastic footprint on the planet, whether it is
quitting plastic straws or signing petitions to your local government representatives. One of the
easiest things you can do, is have a look at areas of your life where you use significant amounts of
single use products and try find alternatives.

Unfortunately, the female sanitary industry is one of those areas, with commercial tampons and
pads being created to be single use and to be thrown out after every use. That is why the tide is
changing, and companies such as LUCKYPADS are investing in creating environmentally
friendly alternatives to single use hygiene products.

Reusable sanitary pads are one of the answers to eliminate waste, as they can be reused, and can
save up to 150kg of plastic waste from entering the landfills per person.

Plastic Pollution Statistics

The statistics concerning plastic waste are horrifying, lets have a quick overview:

- The current best approximates suggest there are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the
ocean.
- 269,000 tons are floating on the surface, while the remainder has begun sinking into the
deep.
- Shoppers around the world use around 500 billion single use plastic bags every year,
which is roughly a million bags per minute.
- Every year there are 640,000 tons of abandoned fishing gear left in the ocean.
- From the total 8300 million tons of plastic produced since 1950, 5800 million tons of it
were only used once. From that 4600 million tons have been discarded with only 100
million tons recycled and 700 million tons incinerated.
 - The global plastic production has skyrocketed from nothing in 1950, to 350 million
metric tons per year in 2015. It is only expected to keep growing.

What can you do?

Chances are, if you are reading this article you have already done the simple things that have been
suggested by every other eco blogger. You have gotten yourself a reusable water bottle, use a
reusable shopping bag, potentially switched to shampoo and conditioner bars, bought a bamboo
toothbrush, quit sucking on plastic straws, and became more mindful of plastic packaging.

Plastic, however, is everywhere and soon you will find yourself in a rabbit hole of attempting to
buy second-hand clothing and materials, refusing receipts at supermarkets, cooking more and
eating out less, depending on your reusable kichenware, investing in metal reusable razors, and
sharing your knowledge with your friends and family. So, what is next? What about the most
intimate part of your life? Is it possible to become greener when it comes to your menstrual cycle?

Your period and the environmen

Ever since you have gotten your period, you would have depended on tampons or pads as your
trusty companion every month. Certainly, at the beginning of this journey into womanhood, you
did not stop to think twice about where the products came from or went when you threw them into
the bin or specialized sanitary disposable unit.

If we consider the average woman, she will go through roughly 11,000 disposable pads or/and
tampons in her lifetime. Meaning on average, every menstruating human uses a total of around
125-150kg of menstrual product waste. However, this number is not even limited to the products
themselves, but also includes the significant amount of packaging that comes from the
individually, hygienically wrapped sanitary products.

As if the waste aspect was not enough, it is important to take into consideration the entire life
cycle of the menstrual products.

The environmental impact of Tampons

Tampons are generally created with non-organic cotton which is saturated in pesticides and
insecticides. These can be harmful to the surroundings where the cotton is grown. And you
know, cotton is also an extremely water intensive crop, with almost 3 litres of water required to
grow one single cotton bud. The process of manufacturing each tampon also includes energy
resources and chemically intensive methods. Tampons contain chemicals including dioxin,
chlorine, and rayon, which are not ideal to have in or near, your intimate areas. Once tampons
have been used and discarded, these chemicals continue to leach pollution into ground water and
air once they end up in the landfill.

On a side note, some women are still flushing period products down the toilet. In the UK two
billion sanitary products are flushed into the sewage systems causing 75% of drain blockages.
This requires enormous man power, and financial costs to fix these avoidable problems.
The environmental impact of Disposable Pads

Disposable pads, Although producers are generally reluctant to reveal the exact composition of
their products, the main materials will usually be bleached rayon (cellulose made from wood
pulp), cotton and plastics. In addition, fragrance and antibacterial agents can be included. The
plastic parts are the back sheet and polymer powder as an additional
powerful absorbent (superabsorbent polymers) that turns into a gel when moistened. Click here to
know more about Disposable pads.

Polyethylene can stay in the soil for 1000 years. This means, for 1000 years this plastic can leach
toxicity into the water and earth, block biodegrading processes, increase soil temperatures, and
block crops from growing in the area. If the plastic gets into the ocean, it can break down into
microplastics which means it enters the food chain and can potentially kill a whole range of
marine life. Whales, marine birds, turtles, and sharks have all fallen prey to plastic pollution in the
ocean.

Eliminating your dependence on single-use menstrual products can therefore significantly help
both the environment along with your health.

Consider this: in the United States alone, 12 billion pads and 7 million tampons enter the landfills
annually.

A green period product alternative

Thankfully, the increase in the eco-conscious movement has seen people looking for less
environmentally taxing options when it comes to their monthly cycle. The reusable menstrual
products like Menstrual Cup and Reusable Sanitary Pads were developed as an eco-friendly
alternative to the disposable pads and tampons, while reusable menstrual products can eliminate
polyurethane-based single-use pads currently available on the market.
Menstrual Cup

There are several menstrual cups available on the market, which are made from medical grade
silicone and can be reused for years. The lifespan of the cup means it can replace up to 2400 pads
and tampons per user. Imagine the pile of single use period products on one hand, and one simple
small silicone cup on the other hand. Is silicone a sustainable option? Studies have shown that the
material which originates from silica, which is a type of sand, does degrade into its original form
without damaging the environment. Menstrual cups are also easy to use, versatile, come in
different sizes, and ideal for the active woman.

But, In terms of sanitation, the menstrual cup needs to be boiled in hot water in between uses to
eliminate potentially harmful bacteria that could accumulate.

Furthermore, For those of you who are new to the period game, it’s best not to overcomplicate
things. Menstrual cups can be a bit daunting for newbies on her first period. So reusable sanitary
pads would be the best period pads on the market to newbies.

Reusable Sanitary Pads

For those of us who prefer a simpler, more familiar option, to support you through your menstrual
cycle, then LUCKYPADS are the solution for you! LUCKYPADS are reusable sanitary pads that
are made from certified organic cotton. we guarantee no residue of harmful chemicals will
encounter your sensitive skin. Them being unbleached, undyed, and chemical free means they are
better for your body along with the environment. Replacing your single use pads with
LUCKYPADS can help you save thousands of single use plastics from entering landfills or
potentially the ocean. They are more comfortable, eliminate the plasticky sound when walking,
and have nothing but organic cotton touching your private areas.
LUCKYPADS are leakproof due to their thin thermoplastic polyurethane layer situated in between
the two layers of organic cotton. This material has been found to degrade after 3-5 years in the soil.
And also come in 7 different sizes, giving you the option to choose any option from a thin
pantyliner to a thick and dependable night pad. On top of the size variety, there is a wide range of
patterns to choose from to make sure you are feeling cute during your time of the month.

Reusable sanitary pads are the Future

Whether you are opting for reusable sanitary pads due to health concerns, environmental impacts,
or even saving money by investing once rather than monthly, you will not regret choosing
LUCKYPADS as your trustee companion. Turn your cycle into a beautiful experience in harmony
with your body and nature by eliminating chemicals, single-use, and environmental guilt of using
up to 150kg of easily replaceable waste.

Now, do you know how switching to reusable sanitary pads help the environment? Convinced to
give reusable sanitary pads a try?