Published and Copyright October 4, 2006
Saint Mary's University, The Journal
The title of this column is not entirely what it seems - so let me explain. Last week I had an assignment for one of my marketing classes that required me to explore the shopping atmosphere in downtown Halifax. There were specific stores to visit during my travels. I stopped in at Venus Envy (for those of you who do not know – this is basically a sex toy/ book store) and coincidentally came across something that would make a great article: alternative menstrual products.
For those of you who are either a) allergic to pads or tampons, b) worried about the environmental affects that menstrual products have on the environment, or c) sick of spending money on this biological accessory – read on.
As you may know, pads and tampons are possibly linked to several health problems – not just yeast infections, but serious diseases like breast cancer, cervical cancer, endometriosis, and womb tumors. According to Natracare.com,“Tampons are commonly made from a blend of chlorine-bleached conventional cotton and/or synthetic products, such as rayon, polypropylene and plastic, and Pads often contain a blend of chlorine bleached pulp, polypropylene, polyacrylates and plastic. Chlorine bleaching produces an unwanted byproduct called dioxin -- a substance linked to cancer, endometriosis, low sperm counts and immune system suppression”. As mass production matures, consumers are increasingly concerned in regards to the food they eat and the products they use, hence, the explosion of the organic and health food industries. It is therefore surprising that the issue of all-natural menstrual products is not more mainstream then it is.
The sanitary pad substitute I purchased at Venus Envy is a 100% cotton pad that ultimately looks more like a terry-cloth washcloth than anything (as seen in the corresponding picture) and which set me back only $10.00. They also sell reusable tampon substitutes, such as, The DivaCup (approximately $46.00), and The Sea Sponge ($10.00).
The DivaCup website reports that, “In 1998, 7 billion tampons and 13 billion sanitary pads and their packaging made their way into landfills and sewage systems in the USA alone!” Because pads are not biodegradable they have accumulated for decades in landfills. Menstruation.com provides a “Disposable Pad and Tampon Cost Calculator” so anyone can calculate how many products they will use over their lifetime. Being 22, I will approximately use 7,722! Let’s just say 4,000 women attend Saint Mary’s right now. On average over our lifetimes, we will collectively use 34,749,000 sanitary products. That is a mind-blowing amount of waste.
My initial thought when I saw the assortment of reusable and organic substitutes at Venus Envy was, “I wonder what the financial impact would be over a lifetime?” Using the same calculator on menstruation.com, I figured out that I would spend approximately $1,800 on disposable sanitary products over my lifetime. Let’s say I purchased a DivaCup once every five years, I would end up spending $495.00 over a lifetime. Even though it may not seem like a huge difference, and it might not be a lot of money spread out over a 45 years period, other financial factors can come into play by continuing to use disposable sanitary products. The more waste we accumulate, the higher our taxes will be to accommodate landfill space. Also, if you experience rashes, itchiness, hives, or yeast infections due to the synthetic materials found in pads and tampons, you will be spending money on medication and treatments.
To find out more about reusable and all-natural menstrual product substitutes, check out the following website: http://www.divacup.com/, http://www.gladrags.com/, http://www.bloodsisters.org/ or visit Venus Envy on Barrington Street.
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