It’s been a long time since women have been dependent upon the pads and tampons, the conventional methods of dealing with periods. It's 2020 and nothing has changed much in terms of it. Not only they are harmful for health but are the real foes of the environment. In the age when we talk about saving the environment, it is one thing that we should try to get rid of as soon as possible.
Many have not heard of menstrual cups, though it’s been around since the 1930s and is one of the best existing options that can help save the environment. They are safe and are not harmful for health as well. A menstrual cup can be used as an ultimate solution to your period woes.
On average, a woman menstruates for about 7 years during their lifetime and around 121 million women and girls alone in India disposes of around 21,780 million pads on an annual basis. As it involves plastics in its making it takes thousands of years to biodegrade.
Let’s have a look at them a little too closely. The raw material used in its making is raw cotton and the plastic known as polyethylene that is used to wrap the pads and tampons are made from oil. The horror fact about plastics is that they do not break down easily. But in the process of breaking down, a lot of chemicals are added into the ground. And the story doesn’t end here as a lot of chemicals, pesticides and herbicides get involved in the making of pads and tampons. Yes, you guessed it right1 During the production of Cotton!
The Carbon Footprints
During the production of the plastic used in the pads and tampons fossil fuel is required and that have a carbon footprint of 5.3 Kg of Co2 even if compared to the menstrual cups as it is used less in numbers over the years. According to the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal cleanup, it is brought up that around 18K tampons and applicators got collected from beaches around the world in 2004 alone. The number is sure to have increased over the decade with the increasing population.
It is sad to think that most of the people who use these tampons and pads are smart enough to understand that it should not be flushed despite the fact it is done continuously. These tampons and pads end up in sewers to be found on the beaches. These plastics when consumed but the creatures found in the sea harm them, thus it is a much better option to throwing them into the dustbins to go to the landfills.
Menstrual Cups, An Environment-Friendly Alternative
There are many brands that are coming up with the environmental friendly option of reusable menstrual cups; these are not only good for the environment but are cost-effective as well. The reusable menstrual cups are made up of medical-grade silicone that can be used for almost a decade.
If compared to pads and tampons, and at the same time having a closer look at the uses of a menstrual cup, they remain the most cost-effective option. You just have to spend once on it and then you can use it for a long time. They remain in the same condition if taken care of properly.
Contrast to the other alternatives that absorb the menstrual flow, the cup collects the blood that can be emptied and can be reused after being washed. Though the question pops in the minds of the people- how to use a menstrual cup and wash it, the answer to it remains simple if the guide to use is followed properly. If you are using a menstrual cup for the first time, then you may incur some difficulty but once you use it twice or thrice you will get accustomed to it.
A menstrual cup is eco-friendly and does less damage to the environment if compared to its contemporaries. Over the ten years of its usage, a cup produces only 0.4% of the plastic waste contrary to pads and tampons.
Moreover, periods are still considered as a taboo in most parts of the world and it can prove to be bliss as using pads or tampons is associated with dirty and unclean periods. Apart from that, there are places that are still dealing with the shortage of water and safe ways of disposable. In that case, a menstrual cup can also be really a great option as it requires less water to get cleaned and need not get disposed of frequently.
One of the most important factors that contribute to the usage of the menstrual cup is that it also saves from rashes, skin irritation, infections, leakages and makes the periods hassle-free. All the reasons given above are enough to answer the question of why use a reusable menstrual cup. Make your life easy and do your bit towards saving the environment by adopting the menstrual cup.