So #plasticfreejuly starts today! If you follow me on Instagram you'll know I've been on a journey to live an eco-friendly life since 2017. It started of being all about beauty, and then I realised that it couldn't be limited to that, it was something that I had to do in all aspects of life.
Has it been easy? Absolutely not. We are so used to living a 'disposable' day to day life, and sometimes it's not a choice we make, it's been dictated to us by a large company. So for example you'll go out to the supermarket, most things are packaged in plastic including fruit and veg and also treats. We may not have a local shop near by that doesn't sell their produce in plastic, or even just purchasing plastic free can become a burden on the bank account. It really shouldn't be this way.
So instead of sharing a tip a day, I'm going to be sharing a tip every Wednesday through July (5 in total) on how to go #plasticfree but only the aspects that I've managed to do and it has been easy to do so.
So first of the five is ditching the plastic sanitary products and switching over to reusable.
If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen how much I love my MoonCup. It's basically a menstrual cup (made from silicone) that can be washed and used again on your next period. No waste for the bin (monthly), and most importantly no plastic waste. I'm not going to tell you the in's and out's of using it, however I've linked my IGTV video about mythbusting, and also my highlights MoonCup Part 1 and MoonCup Part 2.
Here's a link to my MoonCup Campaign too. It was so lovely to be able to work with a brand who I truly believe in and works for me.
Photography by Emma Croman for MoonCupLtd
So let's get on to the plastic part. I used to use sanitary towels and tampons prior to finding out about the MoonCup (or menstrual cup). I thought that was the only option available for us, I'd never heard about a menstrual cup, and to this day it makes me sad that I hadn't heard sooner.
I read about the MoonCup in a forum. The lady speaking about it mentioned that she had been using hers for 10 years and wouldn't go back to 'normal' sanitary products. This made me want to find out more. I started researching online and I was so shocked about how much plastic was in my sanitary towel - nearly 90%. I couldn't believe I was exposing myself to that for nearly 7 days a month, I also wore disposable panty liners so actually its having plastic down there, not letting my skin breath for most of the month. I read about how the sanitary towels wouldn't biodegrade for years and years and years due to the plastic content. So basically they're just sitting in a landfill, or floating around in the sea. I was getting through at least a pack of sanitary towels every two- three period cycles, the thought of all the plastic I was unknowing-ly putting into the bin was just awful. So I ordered a MoonCup (please do your research prior to buying yours) left it for a few months as the size of it just scared me, and then one day I plucked up the courage. It wasn't easy at first but once you get the hang of it, it's like second nature. If you'd like to hear about my experience click here.
So I use a MoonCup for my period every month - so no more sanitary towels. It's a no-brainer swap for me because its great for travelling and you can swim in it to (there are so many other pro's too). I use washable panty liners through out the month, again a super easy swap, I pop them in the wash without conditioner and they're ready to use again once dry. There's also an option of period pants. I haven't tried there yet but I will be doing so. I'll be sharing my thoughts of course.
If you're unsure about using reusable products, I would urge you to switch to TOTM Organic products (I used their products prior to switching to reusable). They make pads, panty liners and tampons out of zero plastic. Much better for the environment, and so much better for you too.
Let me know if you'll be finishing all your plastic sanitary products and switching to reusable or biodegradable. If you've already switched let me know what you use below and what you've found easy!
See you this time next week for #plasticfreejuly part 2!
Some links if you'd like to purchase any products mentioned above from my Amazon store front (affiliate link - I'll make commission on purchases)
#plasticfree #plastic #plasticocean #plasticperiod #periodpowerful #wuka #mooncup #menstrualcup #cleanperiod #greenperiod #ecofriendly #sustainable #ecoperiod #periodtaboo #happyperiod #pantyliner #tampon #sanitarytowel #biodegrable #totm
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