Well, listen up! The revolution is here and it comes in the form of a tiny, silicone, completely eco-friendly menstrual cup. Put it in the morning of your period, dump it out at night and replace, then do the same the next morning. Yoga, running, swimming, whatever—you can do it and forget about leakage or if the string is showing. You can wear it for up to 12 hours. Toxic Shock Syndrome is so not a factor. You never have to worry about forgetting your protection again. The days of whispered, “Do you have a tampon?” questions to strangers in public restrooms are over.
Insert, rinse, repeat. That’s it.
Okay, so it takes a little getting used to. If you’ve ever used a diaphragm or a sponge you’re halfway there. Taking it out can be tricky—make sure to squeeze the sides together to de-suction before you pull, and try it the first few times in the shower until you get the hang of a no-mess rinse and re-insert. And yes, you do come face-to-face with the fact of just how much blood you lose in one cycle.
But forget your squeamishness for a minute and think about your mothers and your grandmothers. They used pads and garters and when someone came along and told them they could put a little tube of cotton inside of them they probably thought that was pretty yucky too. But they got used to using tampons, and it revolutionized their lives. Just like you can get used to using the cup.
Not to go all heavy (pun intended) on you or anything, but disposable pads are made with polyethylene plastic, which depletes the ozone, contributes to global warming, and emits sulfur and nitrogen oxides. The cotton industry consumes 25% of the world's insecticides and 10% of its pesticides—the residue resides on your tampons and pads. And the reason why tampons are pure white? Chlorine bleach. But don’t forget about the pesticide and insecticide residue from the conventional cotton that makes up tampons. That’s a lot of chemicals we’re putting near some pretty vulnerable parts.
Sure, there are other ways to make your time of the month a little more green. If you like pads, choose those made from plant-based materials that are both absorbent and leak-proof—or even reusable, like Party in Your Pants, LunaPads and LunaPanties. If you’re a fan of the ‘pon, try organic cotton and chlorine-free versions from Seventh Generation.
But for the open-minded among us, consider a revolutionary option in the form of a reusable menstrual cup like the DivaCup. Once you do, you'll never want to use anything else!
Are you thinking about greening your period? What options have you tried? Any feedback on the menstrual cup? Tell me about it!
