Environment

Plastic Free Period. It can be done.

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Men, stop reading. Women, this one is just for you.   I’ve talked about the damage plastic is doing to our environment and our health as well as how we can all reduce our plastic use in two of my previous articles.  Now I want to talk about how we can reduce our plastic use during that time of the month.  Disposable menstrual products are one of the top contributers to landfill never mind the plastic they are wrapped in.  Menstrual pads take between 500-800 years to biodegrade.  But never fear, there are better solutions!

When we have our periods, all we want is to feel more comfortable.  These reusable solutions are actually more comfortable while being better for you and the environment.

Period underwear is all the rage these days.  And honestly, I can’t speak more highly of it.  No one wants to wear a pad but sometimes there are leaks that need to be caught.  Period underwear is super comfortable, and now comes in lots of colours (they only had black when I bought mine).  You can get different thicknesses for light or heavy flow.  I find the light one handy for everyday use especially if you have had a few children and you know you will be jumping or sneezing that day. The heavier one is advertised as holding 20ml or 2 tampons worth of liquid.  And you will no longer have to buy pads that are made of and packed in plastic. I chose to purchase Modibodi underwear because they are an Australian company, but there are several other companies.  Thinx is popular but it is an American company.

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If you still want the bulk of a pad for overnight purposes, I highly recommend getting cotton reusable ones.  I have had mine for years, so I can’t even guess how much money I have saved.  I use them overnight with my period underwear just in case.  They come in all sorts of patterns and colours.  In the morning just pop it in the washing machine and job done.  They are more absorbent than disposables, more affordable, do not contain toxic chemicals, last for years, are super comfortable, and are stylish! No more wasting money on pads and throwing plastic in the bin.  There are many companies that sell reusable pads.  Hannahpads come in lots of different colours and are 100% organic cotton. Ecopads are an Australian company that also support womens’ and girls’ education, empowerment and environmental projects.  For every pad bought they send one to a women or girl in need.  I spoke to Freda and she will have more in stock on 30 June. Or you can even make your own.

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Many women still rely on tampons during their period.  Unfortunately there are no rules that companies have to state the ingredients of tampons on the packages so you don’t know what chemicals may be in the product.  Cotton growing uses large amounts of pesticides so chances are there are lots of them in your tampon.  Each tampon is individually wrapped in plastic as well as coming in a box that all ends up in landfill. There is also the chance of toxic shock syndrome with tampon use. This is a life-threatening bacterial infection that is associated with tampon use.  Menstrual cups are the healthier, more environmentally friendly alternative.  Before you get squeamish, these are so much better than tampons.  You insert it in the morning and just pour out the blood and reinsert it through the day.  You don’t have to carry anything around with you.  They are easy to use, easy to wash and will save you lots of money as you only need to purchase one and they last for years.  I use the Diva Cup, but there are many others on the market.  I found the Menstrual Cups Australia Online website that compares and sells all the major brands of cups.

Now you have some solutions to making your period more comfortable, healthier and better for the environment. Win for you and the world!

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We have a problem with plastic … and it is BIG!

Plastic bottles in lake

Every minute, one garbage truck of plastic enters our oceans.  Most of this comes from debris on our streets, beaches and highways that float down storm drains.  This consists of plastic bags, bottles, straws, balloons and food wrappers as well as fishing gear and nets.  Some of this plastic washes up on our beaches while some of it gets consumed by marine life or fed to their offspring.  Over 100 million marine animals are killed each year due to plastic in the ocean. Sea turtles commonly eat plastic bags and other items causing blockages in their guts, ulceration, perforation and death.  When seabirds eat plastic it remains in their stomach causing them to eat less actual food and slowly starve.

Platic bag under water

The plastic that doesn’t get eaten or washed up on the beach stays in the ocean where it collects and slowly starts to break down into microplastics (less than 5mm diameter). There is currently a mass in the Pacific Ocean of plastic 3 times the size of France, or over 2500 km, often called the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’.  There is also another similar one called the ‘North Atlantic Garbage Patch’.  This is not a big pile of plastic bottles and straws that we can take pictures of from space or easily cleanup. It is spread out more like garbage soup with small bits of plastic floating just under the surface.

But how does this effect my health you ask.  As plastic breaks down, chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) leach into the water.  Plastics also absorb chemicals such as PCBs and DDT from the surrounding water.  The concentration of PCBs in plastic in the ocean has been found to be up to 1 million times higher than the surrounding water.  Aquatic organisms that live near the surface consume these microplastics and chemicals.  These chemicals bioaccumulate, meaning the concentration grows the more the fish eats.  Then a bigger fish eats them (along with many of their chemical saturated friends) and the chemical concentration just continues to grow.  We then consume these fish, chemicals and all. PCBs from fish consumption can cause circulatory, nervous, immune, endocrine and digestive system problems.  A study in California found a quarter of the fish at markets contained plastic in their guts. This is a BIG problem, and it is only getting bigger.

Gone are the days when you could feel good about yourself for recycling.  China used to take most of the world’s recycling, but they are now refusing all but the cleanest recycling from countries.  This is leaving Australia with a million tons of metal, paper and plastic that it would have sent to China, but now has to deal with on home soil. Some councils have already put some recycling into landfill. Canada also used to export most of its recycling to China with some cities there now saying that recyclables may end up in the dump as well. Others are trying to meet the new purity standards set by China, which includes no glass mixed with plastic, and no food stains on paper.  This will mean that only the cleanest recyclables will be sent to China, and the remaining will be sent to landfill.

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There are some local Australian recycling companies.  Replas takes the soft plastic recycling from the REDcycle program and turns it into over 200 products including bollards, signage, outdoor furniture, decking and more.  Don’t feel so good about returning your plastic shopping bags to your local grocery store just yet.  The only thing that makes this a viable option, is if people buy the recycled products they make.

 

Although plastic slowly breaks down, it will never go away.  The EPA (USA) says that every bit of plastic ever made still exists. We can’t keep going like this, we need to use less plastic!

So now you know about the problem – plastic isn’t going away and we can’t rely on recycling all of it. In my next article I’ll discuss some steps that you can take to make a difference by using the 6 Rs (yes six!) – Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot. You can also read about how to have a plastic-free period.  I hear you thinking – just one of us reducing our plastic isn’t going to change anything, but if we all do our best, we can make a big difference.