That time of the month
If you don't want to read about periods or sanitary products, look away now. Before you go, I know how you feel. I don't want to talk about it either.
Unfortunately for me, it is all very relevant to the living a zero landfill waste month. When in landfill, tampons and pads take at least 6 months to biodegrade. Plastic components such as applicators, wrappers, topsheets and backing strips can last indefinitely.
An alternative is the Mooncup. It's like a reusable tampon - you can see the American version, the Keeper in the picture.
The whole Mooncup thing fills me with horror. It distresses me so much I don't know how to start talking about it.
I contacted Kath at Mooncup Ltd who was more sympathetic than comforting. When I told her about the experiment, she warned me:
"If you are up for getting a mooncup for your month without waste, it's worth noting that it can take up to 3 cycles to get the angle and position right."
Aaaaaaah! If you know of another alternative, please tell me.
posted by not a load of rubbish @ 2:58 pm
14 Comments:
CityHippy have a post about the mooncup - and they point out Australian company Pleasure Puss' reusable cloth pads - available in leopard, gingham, and hideous floral prints. Amazing.
Love what you're doing - much respect to you!
Mooncups aren't that bad - I voluntarily bought on eabout 6 months ago. They take a bit of gettin gused to, but the bonus is you get a cup full of period to do evil things with. As you're not wasting things, what are you going to do with the blood? I hope you pour it into some on's coffee ^_^ boo xxx
That is the most disgusting thing I've read. And I'm not talking about the strange floral patterns.
this is so gross! I don't care - but i won't be doing this.
I would suggest Natracare sanitary products, I believe they are biodegradable and available for purchase online. www.natracare.com
as for the keeper/moon cup, if you're serious about it, try it. I currently use a disposable cup called "instead" and it is easy to use. Once I get very comfortable with it I might switch to the keeper.
I've heard some women use the keeper to save their monthly flow as it is supposed to be great for gardening. Personally I'm not down with that. but it goes to show just how we take something totally biodegradable and make it harmful to the environment by encasing it in bleached materials and plastics.
This may have just come to me in a dream, but I understand that in the olden days ladies used to use Sphagnum Moss to absorb their monthlies.
Now that would provide a compostable alternative to the loon cup and as you're off to the Highlands this weekend you could gather yourself a nice crop.
You will have the demise of the Scottish blanket bogs on your conscience though.
Wow, I thought the whole composting thing was a joke. Travelled across London to find a mooncup yesterday and felt strangely satisfied having bought it.
I too use a cup, but I prefer the Diva Cup by day and cloth pads at night. I got them from gladrags.com. Initially I bought them because I was sick of spending money on disposable products.
In the 70s I used to use menstrual sponges. Squeeze it out, rinse and reinsert.
I've used the Keeper and homemade pads for years and will never go back to using uncomfortable, non-green and expensive commercial products again.
i use menstrual sponges. they have come back since the seventies. they are sustainably harvested sea sponges. like a tampon. just squeeze, rinse, reuse. i think the brand is "sea pearls"
I use Natracare products. Got put off the fabric pads by a flatmate who used to leave hers marinating in a bucket for days at a time. I know I'd be the woman who couldn't get the fit of her mooncup right before hitting menopause
I use the Mooncup. It's great. I can't imagine ever going back to tampons. It's not gross to use a Mooncup, it's the same amount of blood anyways - on the upside (apart from environmental perks) it's also way cheaper in the long run, you are free from TSS risks and you don't have to worry about not bringing extra tampons with you - it's always there :) I have only nice things to say about the Mooncup, it wasn't that difficult to use either (I though it might be). It's just plain PERFECT.
i've been using the mooncup for about two years and i'm ecstatic about it. I will NEVER use a tampon again. anyone who thinks menstruation, or the use of alternatives to tampons and pads, is disgusting needs to grow up.
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