Try a menstrual cup instead of pads

In recent years, various products have begun to appear on the market for feminine intimate care: cloth panty liners, cloth menstrual pads, and the menstrual cup as a sustainable alternative to disposable pads and tampons.

If you're wondering if it's really worth trying the cup for your next period, the answer is yes. I invite you to discover all the reasons in this article.

Why the menstrual cup makes sense: comfort, cost-saving and sustainability

The menstrual cup is a game changer. Made of medical grade silicone, an inert, hypoallergenic, and durable material; it doesn't cause irritation, doesn't generate odors, and is also very comfortable.

It's true that the initial investment is higher, but it pays for itself quickly. In fact, switching from pads to the cup can save you approximately $2,900 USD throughout your reproductive life. This economic saving is intrinsically linked to its sustainability: with a useful life of up to 10 years (I've had mine for 7 years and it still works perfectly), you'll use only about 4 cups in your lifetime. This drastically reduces waste and results in a lower water and carbon footprint compared to disposable options.

To understand the positive environmental impact of this product, it's best to rely on concrete data like that provided by the Life Cycle Assessment for feminine hygiene products (Silva, 2021). In it, the most significant environmental impacts of the menstrual cup, pads, and tampons were compared over an entire reproductive life (~35 years). This study considered the stages of raw material extraction, product manufacturing, packaging production, transportation, use, and final disposal.

The graphs illustrate the results of this study, and as can be observed, by choosing the cup we will generate fewer greenhouse gases and consume less water throughout our entire reproductive lives.