Free Flow

Periods, Plastic and Pollution – The Impact of Disposable Period Products By Kate McGreary Did you know it is estimated that some women can use up to 15,000 period products in a lifetime? This alone is hard to comprehend, but then knowing that it takes a tampon longer to degrade than the lifespan of the woman who wears it is equally as shocking. Thankfully, a shift to more sustainable and environmentally friendly products is gradually occurring, with campaigns like ‘End Period Plastic’ gaining more traction. But we still need to spread this important message that reusable sanitary products are out there, and have many benefits you may not have heard of. A bit of history… The first tampon with an applicator was produced in 1933. The applicator was firstly designed, says gender studies experts, because doctors, as well as members of the public, were squeamish about the idea that women—especially young women—might come into contact with their genitals during tampon insertion. [1] The appl