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About Menstrual Hygiene and Environment

Did you know it was Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28th of May? Did you know it was World Environment Day yesterday, the 5th of June? Where are we going with this? Before we get to the subject and get in touch with a natural function of woman’s body- Menstruation, unfortunately because we still live in a society where women are treated as second class citizens and periods are tabooed and considered gross, many get offended when it is discussed freely. For such prestigious folks, it is recommended to stop reading right away. For rest of us, let's not hush about it, rather we should push for a better today and wonderful tomorrow.
First, a little bit of math: If we make an approximation to say that most of us get first period around 12, and will probably have periods until 45 or so; that’s 33 years, over 396 periods — of cramps, mood swings, bloating, and, of course, bleeding. Now multiply that with number of pads or tampons you use during one cycle; that’s what each of us will leave behind along with rest of the pile of non-decomposable waste, even when our bodies are long perished.
Conventional pads and tampons are usually made from a combination of plastic, rayon, bleach, and other chemicals. They pile up in landfills or sewers after women unthinkingly throw them away; that's if on an average each woman have 396 periods in her lifetime and uses an average of 20 pads, each of us will be responsible for approximately 7920 disposables. Did the math?
If that seems not a big deal; population of women in India is 652,672,112 (65.2 crore) as of June 07, 2017 and let’s not forget, which means women are young too and you know what that means. I am talking about amount of sanitary products being used and disposed every single day. And we are well aware how efficient we are in keeping our surroundings clean, whether it is the public or the departments concerned. We are still not at the level of disposing garbage with required efficiency and so, it all litters around, clogs the drain; we know it all.
Here we need to pin the fact that we are still struggling with making sanitary products available to every woman in our nation. The choices of menstrual hygiene materials are often limited by the costs, availability and social norms. Adequate sanitation facilities and access to menstrual hygiene products are integral part of the solution. So think of a scenario when it is. Think about the amount of non-recyclable waste which will take hundreds of years to dispose getting accumulated every day. But that should not be a reason that millions of women be deprived of Menstrual Hygiene. Should it? We will get to a possible solution later, but first thing first.
Menstruation shouldn't take away from anyone their basic rights. It shouldn't stop any girl or woman from living their life to the fullest with dignity and with all the opportunities to reach their full potential. What shall we do now? But the question that arises is what we can do in such a case. I am hoping you would find the answers by end of this write-up.
First of all, let’s agree that the environment today is a burning global concern. Next, it is essential to focus on advocacy towards understanding the linkages between gender, especially women and a variety of environmental/sustainable development topics that is the differential cause and effect of environmental degradation by women and importantly, the role of women as agents of change in regards to mitigation and adaptation to the changing environment.
What that implies is, as much as women can be an instrument to reduce the pressure on environment, they can also contribute in the elevation of Environment crises, which one can understand by calculations we just did. In addition to the environmental impact, what about the impact on your wallet? How does it feel to know that someone is profiting from your natural bodily functions?
Coming back to the question about what can be done, many would assume that it would mean going to the old school ways. Well, fortunately we are not going back to rags, hays and isolation. From menstrual cups and cloth to organic pads and sea sponges, in front of you is a door to whole new world of "green menstruation" only if you are willing to discover what it would take to make your cycle eco-friendly.
Though we are not going back to rags and hay, but we are going back so as to go forward. It is surprising to learn that eco-friendly menstrual products were actually the norm before tampons and plastic pads were introduced in the 20th century. So, let’s take a page from the past of not just ours but other cultures around the world and got started: Herewith, eco-period pursuits.

Organic Pads
The easiest way to begin a foray into eco-friendly period products is with organic pads and tampons. Still, even eco-friendly pads and tampons are disposable and, therefore, wasteful. My view, though, is that they’re an easy way for women everywhere to take a baby step toward helping the planet.
Cloth Pads
First of all, these are the softest pads you could ever use. Women who use them say that they are so comfortable that sometimes you forget you are even wearing a pad. They’re more absorbent than regular plastic pads, and there’s absolutely zero skin irritation. However, while cloth pads are less wasteful in the long run, there is one sizable caveat: cleaning, which involves soaking a bloody pad in cold water, washing it, and then drying it. Every time you wear it. Carrying around a soiled pad in your purse all day long can be really gross, despite the fact that they usually come with a plastic bag. Also, soaking, washing, and drying every single pad is very labor-intensive and time-consuming (not to mention wasteful of water).
Padded Panties
Sometimes, you have those days when you think your period’s over — and bam, it's not. You get a big, bright, stain in your underwear. The answer to period-leak prayers is this menstrual product; look for the one crafted with organic cotton, along with an absorbent liner.
They are comfortable enough to make you forget that it’s one of those days of the month. Of course, padded underwear is not a good option if you're bleeding in it all day — nobody wants to be sitting around in dirty panties.

Make it at home
DIY pads are also the frontier of eco-periods. That’s right: These are do-it-yourself, as in "sew-your-own." You can find many blogs to help you out with sewing machines and patterns; still you can do things your way. After all, it’s not do-it-yourself without “yourself”.
The beauty of making your own pads is that you can choose the fabric you like best something soft on the outside and super absorbent like Cotton Bamboo, Hemp, Microfibre, Fleece, Wool, PUL (polyurethane laminate) on the inside. You can use a piece of absorbent towel too. Only thing it demands is, time.
Sea-Sponge Tampons
Sea sponges are a natural plant-like organism that comes from the Earth's oceans. The inner portion of the sea sponge is exceptionally absorbent, durable and soft, which is ideal for absorbing menstrual blood as an alternative to disposable tampons. An average sponge can last for up to 3-6 months with proper care. Sea sponges are allowed to regenerate and re-grow after harvesting, making it a naturally renewable resource.
The sponge is the most comfortable tampon. Using it is easy and washing it was pretty painless, too: just a few seconds of rinsing with warm water, after which lay it out to dry. Caveat: They're essentially impossible to use if you're in a public bathroom, because you have to wring them out in a sink. Also they are quite expensive.
Menstrual Cups
Finally the show-stopper ‘menstrual cup’. When most people hear the words “menstrual” and “cup” used together, they cringe with disgust. But what are they really?
A menstrual cup is a feminine hygiene product that is inserted into the vagina during menstruation. Its purpose is to collect menstrual fluid in order to prevent it from leaking on clothes. They are usually made of flexible medical grade silicone and shaped like a bell with a stem. The stem is used for insertion and removal. The bell-shaped cup seals against the vaginal wall just below the cervix. Every 4–12 hours (depending on the amount of flow), the cup is removed, emptied, rinsed, and reinserted. After each period, the cup should be boiled for at least 5 minutes and stored for use the next month.
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS), the potentially fatal, bacterial-illness have recognized association between with tampon use. TSS caused by menstrual cup use appears to be very rare to virtually nonexistent. The probable reason for this is that menstrual cups are not absorbent, do not irritate the vaginal mucosal tissue, and so do not change the vaginal flora in any measurable amount.
Unlike tampons and pads, cups collect menstrual fluid rather than absorbing it. One cup is reusable for up to five years or more. This makes their long-term cost lower than that of disposable tampons or pads, though the initial cost is higher. Menstrual cups are also promoted as more practical and eco-friendly than pads and tampons.
Still debating between making menstrual products available to all and environment degradation due to menstrual products, makes it look like we are losing both ways. Research has found that not having access to menstrual hygiene management products can keep girls home from school during their period each month.
Now, coming on to the question of making sanitary products available to every woman in our nation, what do you think, would be more convenient to provide such products every month or just make a little more investment and not only save all the investment getting dumped by use-and-throw products but the environment as well. Doesn’t menstrual cups seem great alternative here.
Not just for sake of environment, choosing an environmental friendly alternative can be healthier for women as well. While, pads and tampons are loaded with chemicals, these alternatives can save you from getting in contact of all those chemicals. Synthetic fibers, non-organic cotton, and plastics present in these disposable products affect our bodies and can make us more susceptible to Toxic Shock Syndrome and chemical reproductive/endocrine disruptors.
Products like the ones mentioned above are revolutionary—for the environment, for our bodies, and for the cultural stigma that exists about menstruation. You are a woman! You menstruate! It’s not something to be embarrassed about.