The Impact of Disposable Menstrual Products on the Environment

A panty liner or tampon might seem like a tiny, inconsequential thing, but when you think about it, single-use or disposable menstrual products can contain up to 90% plastic and are often individually wrapped. In recent decades, the use of single-use menstrual products continues to rise. Single-use menstrual products, such as tampons and pads, are a significant contributor globally to single-use plastic waste.

On average, a single menstruator will use somewhere between 5 and 15 thousand pads and tampons and more than 180 tonnes of packaging waste in her lifetime, the vast majority of which will wind up in landfills as plastic waste. To make matters worse, these single-use menstrual products are often disposed of carelessly and end up blocking sewers, causing flooding, and polluting freshwater and marine environments.

Those that are disposed of properly only end up being discarded in landfills and left to be forgotten. Although plastic applicators are recyclable, they are usually not accepted for sanitary reasons. Globally, landfills are 3rd on the list of top contributors of methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and account for approximately 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Besides all the plastic waste, cotton, which is often used in the production of both pads and tampons, is also environmentally taxing. To produce just 1kg of cotton requires more than 10,000 litres of water alone! It also requires the use of harmful agrochemicals (especially pesticides) and the conversion of natural habitats to agricultural use. Like other crops, cotton farming can lead to land clearing (destruction of natural habitats), soil erosion and contamination, and loss of soil biodiversity. Poorly managed soils can lead to the loss of soil fertility and declines in productivity.

(Plantation of Cotton in a Cropland – source: Mark Stebnicki – pexsels.com)

What are the alternatives?

Although these disposable menstrual products are a major contributor to global waste, women should not be villainized or blamed for its impact on the environment. Most women grew accustomed to these disposable pads and tampons as there were often no other alternatives available to them. And those that are, usually negatively impact the health of the menstruator.

Take for instance the menstrual cup. They are reusable, which eliminates some single-use plastics, but they have their drawbacks. They can be messy and hard to clean (especially in public restrooms), difficult to insert and remove, have possible fit issues, and need to be sterilized frequently with boiling water or a cleaning solution. In some instances, they can even cause pain, urinary problems, and if not cleaned properly, even an infection.

Safepad offers women a better alternative to disposable and other reusable menstrual products that is both eco friendly and doesn’t negatively impact the wearer’s health. Safepad is a reusable sanitary pad with a permanently bonded antimicrobial treatment that helps to reduce vaginal infections caused by Candida Albicans along with infections from other pathogens. This antimicrobial treatment does not get consumed over time nor does it release any antimicrobial substances that could potentially harm the natural microbial fauna of the female vagina.

(Folded Safepad – source: Safepad)

The Safepad was also designed with comfort in mind. It is manufactured from a soft, durable and breathable polyester fabric that offers re-usability, protection and comfort. The antimicrobial treatment makes Safepad self-disinfecting both during use and after washing, even if washed in contaminated water. Safepad thereby helps to reduce the risk of vaginal infections by 99,9% if care instructions are followed and a woman has at least 4 pads at her disposal. The durable fabric along with the permanently bonded antimicrobial treatment means that Safepad has an estimated lifetime of approximately 4-5 years, significantly reducing single-use plastic waste from packaging!

You can purchase your very own Safepad in a box of 4 on Takealot by clicking the button below: