How did the Make all Menstrual Products Plastic-Free campaign start?
It all started back in early 2018 when Ella was employed as a postal worker. She noticed the rubbish on her postal route was getting worse with bag after bag of waste strewn across the pavements. Thinking of this occurring on a national scale prompted her to cut down on her own consumption by making switches like using a reusable bottle instead of plastic bottles. Her period started shortly after and it dawned on her just how much plastic-waste was being created during one menstrual cycle.
Ella did some research and was shocked to learn that period products contain up to 90% plastic and take over 500 years to break down. That's over 7 times the average lifetime of the person using them, meaning if Jane Austen had used them, they would still be decomposing today!
Ella spoke to her colleagues, friends and family about it hoping that they would know, but they were unaware too. She made the switch to eco-friendly products, but the issue kept bugging her, it seemed absurd that something used for just a few hours is made from a material so durable that it takes centuries to break down. She knew that if smaller brands were making them without plastic then big manufacturers could as well and that there was no excuse for them not too.
Ella did some research and was shocked to learn that period products contain up to 90% plastic and take over 500 years to break down. That's over 7 times the average lifetime of the person using them, meaning if Jane Austen had used them, they would still be decomposing today!
Ella spoke to her colleagues, friends and family about it hoping that they would know, but they were unaware too. She made the switch to eco-friendly products, but the issue kept bugging her, it seemed absurd that something used for just a few hours is made from a material so durable that it takes centuries to break down. She knew that if smaller brands were making them without plastic then big manufacturers could as well and that there was no excuse for them not too.
"It really began to frustrate me and I knew I had to do something about it, not only to raise awareness but also to bring about change. I kept thinking 'what can I as a postal worker do about this?' but I couldn’t do nothing. I had to do something because if I didn’t now, then who would. I saw the success of other online campaigns, which compelled me to take a stand against period plastic by starting my own." - Ella
What is the campaign calling for and what has changed so far?
The campaign calls on supermarkets and manufacturers to remove plastic from their period products, this includes tampons, applicators, pads, wrappers and packaging. With plastic bags, bottles and straws commonly dominating the discussion, period products don’t usually get spoken about, meaning that many are unaware of their hidden plastic. However, this is changing, the campaign has risen to over 234,000, which just goes to show that awareness of this issue is rising and with it the number of people that are demanding manufacturers to bring about change.
The campaign has resulted in Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Superdrug stopping the production of their own-brand plastic tampon applicators, which collectively saves over 17 tonnes of plastic annually! Lil-Lets, Superdrug, and Morrisons have reacted to the campaign by launching and developing their own eco-friendly ranges! Before the petition started there were no options available in supermarkets, now thanks to the campaign many supermarkets and retailers’ stock eco-friendly options, including reusables in their shops. This importantly gives customers access to much needed choice.
The campaign has resulted in Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Superdrug stopping the production of their own-brand plastic tampon applicators, which collectively saves over 17 tonnes of plastic annually! Lil-Lets, Superdrug, and Morrisons have reacted to the campaign by launching and developing their own eco-friendly ranges! Before the petition started there were no options available in supermarkets, now thanks to the campaign many supermarkets and retailers’ stock eco-friendly options, including reusables in their shops. This importantly gives customers access to much needed choice.
What are the environmental impacts?
It is estimated that 2.5 million tampons, 1.4 million pads and 700,000 pantyliners are wrongly flushed down UK toilets each day, adding up to a massive 2 billion a year. Once they have entered the sewerage system if they aren’t intercepted at the water treatment works then they end up in our rivers, flow into the sea and wash up on our beaches. They are shockingly the fifth most common type of plastic waste found on Europe's beaches. Overtime their plastic content breaks down into smaller pieces, known as micro-plastics and fibres, which pose a further threat to vital eco-systems where they can enter the food chain from the bottom up.
Globally 45 billion menstrual products are disposed of yearly. In the UK they contribute to 200,000 tonnes of landfill waste and if they aren’t sent to landfill or wrongly flushed then they are incinerated; releasing harmful petro-chemical toxins into the air.
Globally 45 billion menstrual products are disposed of yearly. In the UK they contribute to 200,000 tonnes of landfill waste and if they aren’t sent to landfill or wrongly flushed then they are incinerated; releasing harmful petro-chemical toxins into the air.
How you can get involved to break the plastic cycle, period:
Take a stand with Ella by signing the petition: The more people that get behind this campaign, the bigger the impact and more pressure it will have in getting manufacturers and supermarkets to take responsibility for the unnecessary plastic they are putting into these products. So please continue to sign and share the petition and use the hashtag #EndPeriodPlastic on social media!
Talk about it: The large majority of people that use these products have no idea they contain plastic! By starting conversations, we not only raise awareness and spread the issue to a wider audience but the people closest to us are more likely to listen to what we have to say, especially with a subject like this!
Go Green On Your Flow: You can take direct action right now by opting for an eco-friendly alternative such as plastic-free tampons and pads or reusables like washable pads, pants and menstrual cups! Manufacturers cannot ignore consumer demand and if you make the switch it'd be great if you could post about it on social media using the hashtag #GoGreenOnYourFlow! (Check out this blog post for more information on how you can ditch plastic at that time of the month!)
Go Green On Your Flow: You can take direct action right now by opting for an eco-friendly alternative such as plastic-free tampons and pads or reusables like washable pads, pants and menstrual cups! Manufacturers cannot ignore consumer demand and if you make the switch it'd be great if you could post about it on social media using the hashtag #GoGreenOnYourFlow! (Check out this blog post for more information on how you can ditch plastic at that time of the month!)