On that time of the month, again

10 Jan 2007

Got questions about the environment? Ask Umbra.

Dear Umbra,

You mentioned in "Kid Commando" that the "disposable vs. reusable diaper fight is in a stalemate for the foreseeable future." Is the same true for sanitary napkins?

Clara Yuan
Ithaca, N.Y.

Ask Umbra continues below

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Dearest Clara,

I haven't heard tell of the debate, frankly. I certainly get several "which is better" diaper questions a month, but yours is the first on sanitary napkins in quite a while. Perhaps the Eco-Patriarchy is deliberately stifling debate on this vital wimmin's issue. Well, this womyn has something new to say (always).

Legends of the fallopian.

Photo: iStockphoto

I've managed to find only one lifecycle analysis of such supplies, a comparison of tampons vs. sanitary napkins written by students at a technology institute in Sweden. Their conclusion, based on the data available to them, was that tampons posed less of an ecological burden. Pads are built of layers of ingeniously engineered petroleum product, and hence contribute to climate troubles. Tampons are mostly cotton. Cotton is no innocent crop from a petroleum standpoint, but has less impact, according to this study.

I know you didn't ask about tampons, but this was the only lifecycle analysis I could find, so we'll have to extrapolate and let reusable cotton sanitary pads stand in for tampons. The differences are that reusable pads are -- well, reusable, but contain more cotton than tampons and also require household water for cleansing. Are any men still reading at this point? Just curious.

Let's assume those who choose reusable pads are sparing with the water. I think we can then assume that reusable pads edge out disposable pads in the imaginary fight for eco-status. If you sewed your own cotton or fleece pads out of old clothing or towels, you would divert solid waste and gain extra points for the permanent pads.

So I say reusable wins, but the pad debate has a catch similar to that in the diaper debate: either you are willing to use and wash reusable pads or diapers, or you aren't. Don't write in and tell me there's no difference in effort, efficacy, comfort, and convenience. Both types of pads and diapers have their pros and cons -- I'm not saying one is better. I'm just saying it's hard to change who you are, and in neither situation will earnest ecological tendencies outweigh strongly ingrained personal hygiene habits.

Don't forget about other choices available to ladies. I ran over what I knew in the previous column on the topic. To update, there are now three reusable cups of which I'm aware: the silicone Moon Cup, natural latex Keeper, and the silicone intercapped DivaCup. There are also disposable cups available at the supermarket, but if you must buy them, please make it a one-time purchase in service of investigating the concept, and then move on to a permanent cup.

Womanly,
Umbra

Yours is to wonder why, hers is to answer (or try). Please send Umbra any nagging question pertaining to the environment -- but first check out her FAQs!

The claims made in this column may not reflect the views of this magazine. Neither the magazine nor the author guarantees that any advice contained in this column is wise or safe. Please use this column at your own risk.

Umbra Fisk is Grist Research Associate II, Hardcover and Periodicals Unit, floors 2B-4B.

Comments: (19 comments)

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DivaCup!

I remember seeing the DivaCup (Well, the Keeper or MoonCup... but the DivaCup is the one that was at my health food store) mentioned here before, so I picked it up. It's the best decision I've ever made, personal health/hygene wise. It's fabulous, I honestly sometimes forget I'm on my period. I don't even know how it's possible that I have less cramps than with pads, maybe because I'm less aware of the constant "eeew Period!" feeling, and it's so, so much more convenient.

Word to the first time buyer - even the level 1 size looks huge, and I kind of balked at it at first, but honstly it isn't because it's nice and squishable. I advise you to trim down the little stick on the end though, I found it kind of painful because it stuck out too far, but now that I've trimmed it off I don't notice the thing at all :)

by Arianna at 1:38 PM on 10 Jan 2007

The Keeper is fab

I skeptically tried the Keeper about a year ago -- it took me a few months to get used to it, and now I can't imagine life without it. It has already saved me money compared to the organic tampons I used to buy. I can use it overnight, and when traveling, it's just great. My new best friend.

by grngrl at 2:01 PM on 10 Jan 2007

Keeper Convert

I got the Keeper (two of them, actually) six years ago before heading off on a long-term developing country trip . . . it was the best decision ever. Didn't need to carry pads or tampons, easy to clean/change in public restrooms, and after the first couple of months I didn't bother using the washable cloth pads as backup - didn't need to. This thing is FABULOUS. They last 10 years, so I still have a few years left in them but I'm happy to know I'll be able to restock when I need to. Also, tip for you green thumbs (I haven't tried this yet): it may be gross, but blood is full of nutrients, so emptying your cup into plant water gives a powerful natural fertilizer. Anybody have any luck with this?

by cehobgyn at 8:39 PM on 10 Jan 2007

Reusable Pads

I have not yet tried the cups, but will likely do so after reading the above comments.

I am a hygiene-conscious person, but the shift to reusables wasn't too hard for me.

I have been using reusable pads for about 20 years, now. The benefits are incredible. I still have several of the same pads that I started out with! They last a very long time, even with soaking, and clean well (yes, minimal water use!). You just have to get a container to dedicate to soaking them to make it convenient. I have found the tubs that oxidation powder (for laundry/cleaning) come in are handy. Small profile, handle, and a lid so you can disguise it even if guests come over and you need to tuck it under the toilet or something.

Other benes: If you get ones with a clean surface (refoldable, like these I just found--cannot find my originals--http://www.sckoon.com/scorcopadfaq.html#use), they are extremely clean against your skin. Odor is less than with the plastic pads, as well. Absorbancy is awesome.

Downsides: Traveling is tough--discreetly soaking them, stashing them in a plastic bag, etc. Also, workouts on bicycles are not recommended!

by sfrikken at 7:25 AM on 11 Jan 2007

Dems are senile

Now I know who the audience for Al Gore, bio-fuels and Grist.org are: GEEZERS!

by jabailo at 9:41 AM on 11 Jan 2007

Well, this male read it all

I can't contribute to the discussion except to say it reminds me a lot of the "paper or plastic" and "cloth or disposable" debates that recycle endlessly through cyberspace ...

and I remember my joy at finding the UCS "Consumer Guide to Effective Environmental Choices" to back up my oft-repeated contention that any time spent on such debates is a serious misuse of a vanishing resource ...

So while I hope your answer helped some women find a superior choice that works for them, I wish you had placed the consequence of this choice in context--which is to say that very little depends on this decision and that each woman should find the option she prefers and not worry about it a moment longer than need be, because every moment spent on these debates (where the life-cycle analyses are so crude and require so many assumptions that the results are basically guesses) is taking away from larger issues.

The 5% Project

by JMG at 11:28 AM on 11 Jan 2007

JMG, in Umbra's defense,

she has made that very point many times. Here, for instance.

grist.org

by David Roberts at 11:40 AM on 11 Jan 2007

Diva cups rule!

I hope more people discover the delights of the Diva cup so we can enjoy moon time a little more and stop dumping sanitary waste into the landfills.

The cup has shown me a whole new relationship with this part of each month. It's just me and my cup, no more intrusive "stuff" to deal with and throw out.

By the way - you may have already figured this out, but rinsing the cup in your own urine stream is the
most private and simple way to empty in public bathrooms - clean and sanitary! I just wash mine with soap once in the morning and before sleeping.

tao

by trace at 10:32 AM on 12 Jan 2007

Pads

I crochet mine, and put old washclothes in the center. Then when soiled, yes, soak them. I use a little biodegradeable soap, then, I throw the water in the garden, alongside the plants, not on them. Main point, if you use water, use it as many times as you can before you are done with it. Thanks Umbra!

Green Peace, Solea

by solea at 10:57 AM on 12 Jan 2007

Girl gets period, saves world

First, thanks Umbra, for bringing up the issue. (I love my keeper! Have for years. So much less fuss and waste.)

Also, I would contend that, like our daily food choices, this stuff figures heavily into women's (and arguably, men's) lives. So, while I get JMG's point that the life-cycle discussion inevitably dead-ends, I disagree that this is one dialogue "taking away from larger issues."

The more connected we can get to conservation principles in the things we care most about, or in the things we come into contact with daily (sushi, bed sheets, backyard gardens, beer, menstrual cycles, our commute, whathaveyou), the better.

Because, in the end, all those "little" things add up to a mindset that's more open to and mindful of the "larger issues."

A woman who bothers to care about paper vs. plastic, tampon vs. pad, seems like just the kind of woman that will actually listen when you suggest that she give up her car, run for office on a green ticket and single-handedly bring industrial agribusiness to its knees.

Just a thought.

Girl on Foot: A regular gal soul-searching the modern day car-free commute.

by girlonfoot at 12:43 PM on 12 Jan 2007

not a lot of waste?

JMG, for what it's worth, the amount of waste concerned isn't as small as you might imagine. Even for those of us with fairly light flows, sanitation requires relatively frequent changes of absorbent items, such that it's easy to go through a dozen or more in one period. For heavier flows, you can easily double or triple that. Multiply that by 10-14 periods per year, and no, it's not a patch on even one car or air conditioner or whatever, but if you piled up the packages of pads one woman uses in one year...

Also, it's not at all equivalent to "paper or plastic?" because Umbra's major suggestion is that you choose neither. It's like bringing your own grocery bags--if you use the Keeper or similar, you use zero materials each month and create no trash.

by willa at 3:14 PM on 12 Jan 2007

SEA SPONGES

I used sea sponges as a substitute for tampons for about 20 years and they worked well for me;there's something about them that's antiseptic,apparantly, which is why they used to be popular for bathing.

Moisten in warm water before using, thensqueeze out and rinse in warm water between uses, and I boiled them in vinegar water at the end of each cycle. In public washrooms, I squeezed them in toilet paper or somesuch, but that's very wasteful of paper, so tried to avoid cubicles.

Squeamish folk can make a string out of oh say string, but I never found that necessary for retrieval. And I didn't like the idea of a wick, if you see what I mean.

A piece of sponge will last several months.

Don't use the ones sold for this, or the cosmetic sponges, much too expensive. I bought the huge bath or (even cheaper) car-wash sponges and cut them up. One large sponge cut up lasted for at least 4 years...

You do have to experiment re sizing at first.

They are super-comfortable, very soft. They don't stick to you like tampons do (it's the absorbant chemicals that make them stick I think.)

cheers, Pumpkin Sparshott

by pumpkin sparshott at 1:59 PM on 13 Jan 2007

Viva la Diva!

I bought one of the sea sponges that come packaged as alternatives to tampons and although I followed the directions to keep it clean, I promptly gave myself an infection with it. I've shied away from the Keeper because I find latex to be irritating to the sensitive parts. So for years I've just settled for non-applicator organic tampons and GladRags.

I was really happy to find the silicone Diva a few months back, and it's already paid for itself in money I've saved for not having to buy tampons. My favorite part about the Diva is that there really is none of the odor associated with menstrual flow, even when I remove it. And most of the time I don't notice it at all. It's great for sleeping with and traveling with. I agree with Arianna - trim down the end as it's quite painful when it pokes.

I keep a container of water by the toilet, and empty the Diva Cup into it. Then I water my houseplants and pour it near my greens outside - the celery seems to love it. My ex-girlfriend used to dilute her blood and put it in a spray bottle to mist her orchids with. They absolutely thrived on it.

by charitili at 12:00 AM on 17 Jan 2007

"Moon Time"

Ain't biology fun!

Have the Intelligent Design crowd ever been confronted with this business? If the Intelligent Designer were all that intelligent, he surely would have made the lives of women less complicated, no?

But then again, he is a "he" ...

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 1:27 AM on 17 Jan 2007

not a trivial thought or amount of waste

it is frustrating for us women who specialize in the natural feminine hygeine industry to have the discussion of 'reusable vs disposable' be trivialized. JMG, we know there are other things we can be doing that will have a greater impact, but the fact remains... most women aged 15-45 bleed every month. while we can choose to walk/ cycle instead of drive, we still need to deal with our blood.

umbra, we don't think that reusables just 'edge' disposables. washing reusables does require water, but water is a renewable resource. the landfill problem however is immense, and isn't getting any better. let's also not forget that disposable pads are probably made from pulp from old growth forests in Canada and tampons are full of rayon and dioxins (incredibly toxic things to be inside a woman). effluents from the plastic, pulp and paper industries are also a greater hazard to the environment compared to the cotton manufacturing industry.

while we are also grateful for you mentioning cups (and to others for mentioning sponges) we wish you'd take a stronger stance on the reusable vs disposable argument, because in doing so, if will eventually shift people's thinking and habits. (who here recycled paper when they were kids?) Yes, people can get stuck in their ways, but if women hear a stronger and more compelling message, it can make a difference. especially if that difference was made by all bleeding women out there!

if anyone wants to read more about our gripes about being 'light green' and women using the 'ick' factor to avoid considering reusables, visit our blog entry at http://blog.lunapads.com/2007/01/the_light_green_letdown....

by Lunagal at 7:52 PM on 17 Jan 2007

LOVE MY DIVA CUP!!

I learned about the Diva Cup in a college class and at first thought it sounded weird and a bit gross, but I tried it. I've been using it for about five years now and have converted one of my sisters. I love it!
It is convenient, incredibly cost-effective and ends the worry that you have forgotten to buy tampons or pads.
Too bad it doesn't get rid of PMS or cramps! haha

Eating animals contributes significantly to global warming and pollutes the earth. GO VEGAN!!

by jlp2727 at 1:20 PM on 18 Jan 2007

Washable pads are good too.

I disagree that the cloth vs. disposable diaper thing is a wash. There was a good discussion of this in mothering mag recently and I'm convinced that washing at home is the best choice. But that's just me. I've worked out a way to wash my sckoon organic cotton mama pads and my cloth diapers at the same time without getting baby poop on my pads <g>

I've been tempted to try the divacup, but when I tried the keeper years ago it hurt so bad it made me cry. I think my cervix is tilted. Maybe after having two kids the divacup will be a better different experience.

washing away in my low-water washer,
BH in Seattle

by betsyhoff at 12:48 PM on 23 Jan 2007

doing my part and using the keeper

i've been using the keeper for over 4 years now. it took a little getting used to at first, i'm not going to lie. but now, every time i use it i think of how many tampons/pads i'd go through each month and it makes me feel so freaking good! anyway, i highly recommend checking one of them options out. if you have trouble right off the bat, there used to be a yahoo group about using them with very helpful information.

cheers!

by ramblingal76 at 7:07 PM on 26 Jan 2007

Disposable cups can be reused

Since I'm only aware of one brand of these, I assume that you mean Instead. I agree that they are not as "eco" as the completely reusable ones like the Keeper. However, people should know that they CAN be reused for at least the length of a period; you don't need a new one each time you empty it.

I've been rinsing them out with plain cold water when I change them, and have not had any problems. I wouldn't want to reuse them for a long time, but using one per month is a lot less wasteful than the recommended amount. (I bought about 15 boxes of them at one point when I was afraid that they were going to go off the market; I figure that I am set until I reach menopause.) I find them comfortable and easy to use, even when camping or traveling (I carry a water bottle with me then, for rinsing). FWIW

by Rana at 6:34 PM on 27 Jan 2007

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From Pad to Worse

On that time of the month, again