ecoLIVING London

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that a good portion of my readers are female. Of those female readers, we must have a few menstruaters out there. Well, this post's for you!

I recently read on Alicia Silverstone's vegan blog that: “According to waste consultant Franklin Associates, 6.5 billion tampons and 13.5 billion sanitary pads, plus their packaging, ended up in landfills or sewer systems in 1998. And according to the Center for Marine Conservation, over 170,000 tampon applicators were collected along U.S. coastal areas between 1998 and 1999.”

It seems a little bit unavoidable, right? Like what are we supposed to do, spend our fertile years constantly pregnant? Or live bare-bottomed in a lake for 5 to 7 days every month? I mean - we need a solution.

nter the menstrual cup: a latex or silicone based "cup" that you insert to "collect" and then discard anything that may be leaking from you during your "moon cycles". It's not a new idea. They started producing these in the 30's, some say as a research method of collecting... well, anyways you get the picture. They've recently become a lot more popular with the increased awareness of environmental issues, as well as new research showing that the chlorine contained in conventional pads and tampons is potentially toxic. There are a number of brands of this menstrual cup idea, but the one I'm familiar with is the Diva Cup. It comes in 2 sizes (before childbirth and after, basically) and can last up to ten years. It costs about $30. Think of the savings!

They are simple to use. Fold the cup in half and insert, then allow to unfold. This should create a seal inside of you and can stay in there indefinitely as toxic shock syndrome is not an issue. When it's full or the next time you check it (every few hours is a good idea) you simply discard the contents in the toilet and reinsert. It's something you want to keep very clean for obvious reasons but a little hot, soapy water will do the trick. And you only need one - no more carrying around pads and tampons, packing practically a second suitcase for any period-ridden vacations. And if you're not sure if mother nature will strike today, just keep it in your purse in the handy cloth carrying case provided when you buy it.

The benefits of this system are great and I could go on all day about what a great solution is, but I imagine at least a percentage of my readers are male and by this point I've just about lost them so I will end this girly chat with Go Leafs Go!

Posted by Amy Joy Harrison