Welcome to Naked Sustainability Podcast. This bold podcast helps busy millennials navigate real-life sustainability with practical tips, no-nonsense advice, and a zero-fucks-given attitude, all through a transparent and authentic lens of living in the real world. Join Ginny for lively conversations, expert interviews, and hilarious anecdotes. From eco-fashion to zero-waste living, we’ll empower you to be an eco-warrior without compromising your badass lifestyle. Get ready to kick some eco-ass.
Learning the podcasting game is hard…you might hear a couple fumbles in this episode, and hopefully stay for the conversation with a friend. Menstrual flows, cycles…it’s all awful. So why do we keep using traditional products that are wasteful, possibly full of chemicals, and potentially harmful? There are less wasteful, more beneficial, zero waste options out there.
Table of Contents
The Problem with Traditional Period Products
Hi friends, welcome back! It’s Episode 2 of Naked Sustainability where we dive into living sustainably in real-life. It’s Ginny again, and today we’re going to tackle a hot topic that affects roughly half the population: environmentally friendly period products. Everyone’s favorite topic. Buckle up, friends.
Alright, let’s face it. Traditional period products are the absolute worst. And they are as wasteful as the ridiculous excuses I make for not doing the dishes. Yup, we’re talking about those fucking horrible disposable pad and tampons that are like landfills for your lady parts. And I don’t think they’re horrible just because they are wasteful. Until recently, and some products still, there were chemicals that we just putting in or around our most sensitive area with traditional menstrual pads and tampons. How in the ever-loving fuck?? Like why??
And I’m not a doctor, by any means, but tampons—even organic cotton tampons—can still have a drastic impact on the moisture levels of your vagina, leaving the door open for all sorts of imbalances that can lead to pH changes, or ultimately infections. Absolutely not cool, or fun.
But fear not, dear friends. I’ve discovered a waaay better way to handle sharkweek that doesn’t involve trashing the planet. A zero-waste period.
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How we Got Here
Why is this our first sustainable topic, you might be asking…well, I don’t have a fucking clue to what I’m doing, so it’s just mirroring my life right now. Earlier this week, I was reminded how absolutely horrible pads and tampons were for my body and the planet. Like my period came at the absolute shittiest time—running between connecting flights for work. And to top it off, my period came almost a whole fucking week early…what the fuck hormones?! Anywho…because it was so early, I was unprepared and had to use the tampons that have been in my work suitcase since 2019—that shit doesn’t expire, right?
But anywho..it was the literal worst ever and I want to make sure everyone knows there is a better way (or maybe I just want to bitch about “old-fashioned” period products).
Eco-Friendly Alternatives: Reusable Cloth Pads
Okay, let’s back up. Enter the badass eco-friendly alternatives to traditional period products; trying to save the world, our bodies, and our sanity.
This one’s not for me, but reusable cloth pads are making a comeback. I’ve never been a fan of pads in general (you know, something just sitting in my underwear…not what my overactive brain wants to think about all day), but reusable cloth pads work just like all other menstrual pads, except they’re soft (not plastic-feeling), absorbent, and can come in like any pattern you want to make your underwear feel like a fashion statement. Plus, they’re machine washable, eliminating the single-use waste of traditional menstrual pads.
Eco-Friendly Alternatives: Menstrual Cups and Discs
Menstrual cups are having a moment too, as they are hailed as the superior eco-friendly period product. Cups are mad of medical-grade silicon and meant to be inserted into your vaginal canal to collect your menstrual flow…notice I said “collect” and not “absorb.” Cups leave the overall pH and moisture levels as they were, just letting your vagina do it’s thing. No more wasteful tampons causing dry vaginas and clogging up plumping…and no more pads sticking to your ass like you wish your bathing suit bottoms would. Plus menstrual cups are designed to last years, so you’re saving yourself some money, and reducing your waste! Win-win for both you and the planet. Plus most cups can be worn for twelve hours and hold enough fluid to cover multiple super tampons worth.
The problem, that I’ve found at least, with menstrual cups is I can’t get them to work for me…different sizes, different brands—my vaginal muscles apparently just don’t like cups. So I tried menstrual discs, which are essentially the same exact thing, but a bajillion times better. Discs are inserted into the vagina and sit in the vaginal fornix (right behind your pubic bone) and collect fluid, much like menstrual cups do; and can be worn for a full twelve hours as well. The difference is: you literally can’t feel the disc is there.
And there are many other benefits too from decreased menstrual cramps since it’s not a tampon or a cup pushing against your vaginal walls to being able to have mess-free period sex. Which may or may not lead to some really intense and magical Ohs…but that’s for you to find out.
Exploring Period Underwear
You’re probably wondering about period underwear too? Panties designed with built-in pads, I mean, absorbent layers. They seem magical: comfortable, leak-proof, and available in all your favorite styles. Plus they are washable and re-usable, so they aren’t adding to the landfill/waste problem. But that’s as far as my knowledge of period underwear goes…just what they “seem” like. I can’t seem to find ones that wouldn’t put plastic/nylon/polyester (no matter if it’s recycled or not) next to my pleasure maker to absorb my menstrual flow.
I’ve never used period undies…so maybe someone can help me out and give me the low-down on them—the good, bad, ugly?
A lot of companies with period underwear market about using organic materials, and not using any chemicals. Some of them touting biodegradable undies (if you cut off the waistband, etc). And these are all fantastic and really great things. If underwear with built in pads is more your style, especially since there is no switching things out or shoving anything inside of yourself, go for it.
Embracing Zero-Waste Periods
If you’re looking to reduce your period waste every month, definitely consider making the switch to something more sustainable—and a lot easier to utilize than a tampon or pad that needs changed every couple of ours. Embrace the power of your body, your choice. Whether you’re team cloth pads, menstrual cups, discs, or period underwear, find what works best for you and your lifestyle and rock it.
You can even mix and match your options. Cup during the day, period undies at night. Disc to see your hottie this weekend?
With traveling for work and constantly running to planes, etc. I love the freedom that my menstrual disc gives me to wear leak-free for 12 hours. That way I don’t have to worry about what’s going on down-there until I’m getting ready for bed later that night.
We can’t take care of our planet, if we’re not taking care of ourselves. If you haven’t upgraded yet to a zero-waste period, it is one of the smallest changes you can make that will save you so much time, money, energy, help the planet, and your vagina will 100% thank you for it.
Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and join us next week as we explore more badass ways to care for the planet, while living this busy millennial life.
Until next time.
