In 1931, Dr. Earle Haas invented a product that would forever change the future of women's health and hygiene: a tampon. Over the following decades, tampons gained rapid popularity, offering women greater convenience, mobility, and overall comfort. Today, more than 13.8 billion tampons are sold worldwide; yet, period poverty still remains a highly widespread and prevalent problem that disproportionately affects communities. Furthermore, while tampons remain a groundbreaking innovation that returns power to women by breaking down the physical barriers that restrict their participation in daily activities, the environmental impact of these products is often overlooked.
Above you, seagulls circle the bright blue afternoon sky scourging for food. Their caws echo as they glide across the vast expanse, occasionally descending to land. However, they are not hunting for prey. They are awaiting a moment to swoop in and pick out food from the mountain of trash in front of you. The sheer size of the landfill completely obscures the view in front of you, piling up 20 feet high. On top of that, the air feels heavy, thick with the pungent smell of decay and chemicals. This scene is a peek into the reality of the landfills on our earth that are growing daily. How long will this trash remain resisting decomposition? Is it closer to 20 years or 100 years? Additionally, what percentage of this comes directly from menstrual products?
Each year, approximately, 20 billion disposable menstrual products are discarded in the US, accounting for 240,000 tons of solid waste. The most common tampons and pads can contain up to 90%, all of which ends up in landfills. Additionally these products contain other harmful man-made substances like rayon, artificial scents, and other dangerous chemicals such as phthalates and petrochemical additives. Not only does this take up already limited space in landfills, but it releases greenhouse gases in the decomposition process, which may take up to 800 years to decompose.
Given the increasing severity of this problem, individuals may look for ways to tackle this problem. Among the most common solutions are by making a switch from tampons to menstrual cups. Most menstrual cups are composed of medical-grade silicone, a synthetic material made from silicon, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen, through an injection molding process and approved by the FDA as safe and non-toxic for use with human tissue. According to the Weir (Weir and Red, 2015) and Hait (Hait and Powers, 2019) studies, “using disposable non organic tampons for one year has a global warming potential of around 5.2 kg CO2eq, compared to the below 0.1 kg CO2eq of using menstrual cups for a year”. This is a 98% decrease in global warming potential per year. Moreover, not only does using a menstrual cup relieve some of the environmental impact, but also significantly reduces costs. On average a woman spends between $50–$150 per year on tampons or pads. In contrast a menstrual cup costs between $20–$40, and lasts around six months to 10 years. This drastic difference in cost may make period products more accessible for all. Additionally, many gynecologists also state that they are just as good as tampons or pads and even prevent vaginal infections. Despite all the advantages of using menstrual cups, currently only around 19% of individuals who have periods use them, displaying a large opportunity to reduce environmental impact.
One company called Cora is based in San Rafael California and specializes in these products. A main aspect of Cora’s mission is to address period poverty, as highlighted on their website where they state, “We believe everyone should have access to period care–full stop”, demonstrating their dedication to period poverty. Moreover, their founder Molly Hayward describes getting inspiration for this company during a trip to Kenya where a girl said she’d stay home from school during her period because she couldn’t afford period products. Today, Cora is part of a community of 2,500 companies across 50 countries that “meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.” According to their website, they’ve given 24,000,000 products, will have dedicated 75% of their domestic giving to BIPOC communities by 2022, and have diverted 14,000 products from landfills for each person who switches to reusable period care. Cora is now sold in an abundance of large retailers including Target, Safeway, Kroger, CVS, and Amazon. Their dedication to combining social impact with environmental sustainability continues to be an exemplar for the future of menstrual care and paves the way for a greener world that still addresses women’s health.
Although period poverty remains a pressing issue that includes both sustainability and affordability, companies like Cora show that it’s possible to address complex problems like health and sustainability together. Still, this is just the beginning of a much longer journey to tackle period poverty and climate change. By making these changes, we can reduce waste, fight period poverty, and ensure menstrual care empowers both people and the planet.
Works Cited:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789422000277
https://www.statista.com/statistics/920658/global-market-size-of-tampons/
https://www.roadrunnerwm.com/blog/landfills-were-running-out-of-spacen
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789422000277#:~:text=In%20Weir%20
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