Be an Earth Keeper- have you considered eco menstrual products?
By Rachael Hertogs, Reiki Classes, Wise Women's Workshops and manufacturer of Eco Friendly sanitary products
Menstruation is a natural and healthy process. So why are we so hung up on the issue? Why, for so many, is it so associated with pain and negativity, surrounded by silence and secrecy? What effect does this culture of silence have in terms of our choice of sanitary protection and its implications for health and the environment?
The average woman in the western world uses about 17,000 sanitary products during her life. In theUK we buy more than three billion disposable sanitary items every year; in 2001 we spent £370 million on them!!!
Four million tampons and pads are flushed away every day in the UK, adding to marine pollution- It takes a tampon six months to biodegrade, a plastic sanitary towel liner lasts indefinitely. Flushing sanitary protection causes 75% of blocked drains.
Then there's the issue of the manufacture of 'disposable' products-despite being white disposable sanitary products are NOT sterile!!
Tampons are made from either cotton, or a mixture of cotton and rayon. Use of cotton of course raises issues of fair trade, pesticide use and genetic modification. Rayon is chemically processed from wood pulp. Disposable sanitary towels and panty liners are also made mostly from wood pulp, bleached from its natural brown colour. Chlorine gas was originally the bleaching agent used, and was a source of dioxin, which is a known carcinogen-due to lots of campaigning from The Women’s Environmental Network they now use either chlorine dioxide or hydrogen peroxide. As a result of this and reduced use of chlorine in other processes, dioxin levels in the environment are tending to fall. Dioxins released during chlorine bleaching and plastics manufacture have been shown to cause cancer, miscarriages and damage to the immune system and toxic shock syndrome.
Try an alternative and feel more connected to your cycle, your body and the earth.
Today we have a wide choice of ‘disposable’ pads and tampons as well as washable ones such as sponges, cloth pads and the mooncup.
Some of the ‘disposables’ are more eco-friendly than others. If you don’t fancy washables then switch to organic cotton pads- Natracare make these and they are available in most health shops and some supermarkets. These organic pads and tampons don’t have the harmful chemicals that produce Toxic Shock Syndrome and are made from non GM cotton. They are also safe to put in your compost bin!
Wise Women’s Workshops Eco Menstrual Products
Handmade Organic Cloth Pads and Natural Sponge Tampons
‘Disposables’ cost the Earth.
What are they costing you?
Moon Times are an alternative to disposable sanitary products.
I first came across cloth pads when I was researching alternatives to disposable nappies 15 years ago- I thought it was great- save money and the planet! My mother was horrified; it reminded her of the ‘rags’ she had used in her youth and the shame of trying to wash them, without anyone knowing, at the convent where she was schooled. I was determined to follow my instincts and use my washable pads anyway- it was the late 80’s and advertising was telling us to shove a tampon up us and get on with life- and my body told me to rest, regenerate and reflect while I was bleeding. So I made my own Moon Times- choosing pretty coloured and patterned cotton flannelette. They felt more like attractive underwear than a huge sticking plaster! For the past 14 years I have happily bled on to my cotton pads, and washing them has helped me to reconnect to my cyclic nature.
Now my daughter is a menstruating young woman- I gave her a gift of Moons- at first she was unsure, having been given the free packs and the info (from a certain tampon company) at school and the slight brainwashing of ‘periods are dirty, blood should be hidden away’, but of course she had grown up with me as her mum and soon embraced her Moons- she even took them to a sleep over and soon her friends were asking me to make them- Moon Times were launched!
Moon Times Pads are hand made with cotton flannelette and fair trade organic cotton and liners are available in organic hemp. Flannelette is both soft and absorbent and used as the ‘top’ layer- next to your skin. The organic hemp and cotton are used as ‘liners and ‘bottom’ layers. You put a liner inside the pocket of the pad (or a few if you are bleeding heavily) choosing cotton, hemp or (recycled) toweling liners. Pads have wings- so they are very secure!
They are an ideal gift for young women new to their menses and for new mothers who need soft cloth against their delicate tissue after giving birth.
There are 2 colour themes- plain (white or pastel colours) and patterned* (bright or pastel prints of flowers, stars, moons etc *dependant on what is available)
When you first use Moon Times, it may seem as if your flow is heavier than usual- this is natural- I believe that some of the chemicals used in other sanitary products can affect the amount we bleed-also we may not be used to seeing our blood that closely!
Comments from customers
‘They look - and feel lovely - so soft!’ Becky
‘For the first time ever I’m really looking forward to bleeding!’ Tanya
‘They are so much more comfortable than ordinary pads! And prettier too. Thank you!’ Louise (age 14)
‘I love my washable pads- for me they are about getting away from the attitude of 'stick in a tampon and forget you’re bleeding' and more about honouring your menstruation and the earth. I love watering my garden with my moon blood (from soaking my pads)- I make the whole ritual a sacred ceremony- it's a beautiful thing to connect to your cycle, themoon and the earth...and to other women.’ Sarah
To wash
*remove liner and soak with pad in cold water until you are ready to wash-change water daily, use water to feed your plants!
*machine or hand wash in Ecover or another eco washing detergent. Then machine or sun dry
*when away from home carry an old make up bag for used pads and soak as soon as possible. (bag is included with the sets of pads)
To order – see http://www.moontimes.co.uk/
any queries call or email-
0117 9245040
Rachael is a mother of two teenagers, an inspiring artist, Reiki Master/teacher, Adult Ed Teacher, Workshop Facilitator and a member of The Red Web Foundation. Along with other women such as Vicki Noble, Tamara Slayton, Christiane Northrup, they form a network of women committed to promoting menstrual health in their personal and professional lives. The Foundation is a member-run, non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting a positive societal view of girls' and women's bodies and menstrual cycles from first menstruation (called menarche) through menopause. These “menstrual health advocates” offer a diverse range of products, workshops, and educational materials and include artists, mental health professionals, businesswomen, mums, students, teachers, and health care providers. The Foundation is committed to including a diversity of cultural views and experiences of the menstrual life-cycle. We honour individual and cultural practices of the present day and the past which promote a healthy outlook for women and society.
This article was posted by Rachael Hertogs
