It's that time of the month
A word of warning about this blog. If you are male, or female and really grossed out by the whole idea of cloth pads then don't feel compelled to keep reading.It's fair to say that some of the more common adjectives associated with cloth pads include: gross... disgusting... and unhygienic.
Some my favourite alternative words are: zero waste - completely plastic free (yippee!), low cost, toxic free, sustainable and healthier.
Environmental benefits
There have been some attempts to calculate how much landfill ladies generate during a lifetime of disposable pad/tampon use none of which seem particularly scientific or useful. So here's the deal - over 4 million Australian women aged between 15 and 55 will purchased menstrual products (tampons, sanitary pads, panty liners) in July. Each of which is also wrapped in plastic, and each pack of 10 or 12 in wrapped in even more plastic. However you calculate it this is a lot of plastic and a lot of waste.
Disposable pads/tampons and pads are estimated to take hundreds of years to decompose. Cloth pads have a lifespan of two to three years, or longer. Mine are five years old and starting to show signs of wear. Better yet the cotton fabric will only take about a year to decompose when they are no longer fit for use.
Disposable pads/tampons and pads are estimated to take hundreds of years to decompose. Cloth pads have a lifespan of two to three years, or longer. Mine are five years old and starting to show signs of wear. Better yet the cotton fabric will only take about a year to decompose when they are no longer fit for use.
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| Source: 1 Million Women |
Better for our bodies?
Disposable pads (and tampons) are made primarily of bleached wood pulp or viscose rayon. What makes them so effective is super-absorbent gels and leak-proof plastic backings. I'm no health expert but personally I don't believe that placing all of this next to my skin one week in four can be healthy in the long term. I know that my periods have been less painful, lighter and shorter in the years since making the switch to cloth pads. I'll leave this for each woman to make her own call on this one.Cost savings
In the last 12 months I have spent maybe $20 at most on disposable products (which I've used when travelling, or playing sport). The best estimates I could find are that over five years the cost of using washable pads is around 25% of the cost of using disposable pads. Personally I think it's less than that. Either way it's significantly cheaper.Some suggestions and ideas I'd love to share:
- While you can make your own (lots of patterns out there on the internet try:
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