Comments on: Green Product Review – Options Besides Disposable Maxi Pads & Tampons

By: Green Home Audit: excess packaging in the bathroom

Green Home Audit: excess packaging in the bathroom — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:30:23 +0000

[...] pads, which I never used to use ever (not sure why I half switched? Lazy maybe). There are lots of options that are not disposable, so being lazy is a bad [...]

By: Seventh Generation education on ovarian cancer | Pregnancy & Baby Blog

Seventh Generation education on ovarian cancer | Pregnancy & Baby Blog — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:01:00 +0000

[...] As a thank you for logging in and participating, Seventh Generation will be giving each registrant a coupon for their organic cotton tampons that are not bleached with chlorine, free of rayon and don’t contain added perfumes or dyes. See the video below to find out what’s in most tampons… [...]

By: Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month : Blisstree - Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month : Blisstree - Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:01:53 +0000

By: Nikki

Nikki — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:13:30 +0000

I’m very late to the debate, but I am using a Moon Cup for the first time this menstrual cycle. I have always used pads because I would get nauseous whenever I tried to use tampons, so I’ve basically used pads for over 20 years.

This is my third day using the Moon Cup, and I LOVE it! I don’t know what experiences Tracee has had, but I don’t find the cup any messier than my pads were. In a public bathroom, I get a damp paper towel, remove the cup, dump the contents into the toilet, wipe it, reinsert it, and wrap the used paper towel in toilet paper and put it in the receptacle for used pads. Simple! If I spill a drop (which has not happened yet), I wipe it up and dispose of it, just as I would with any other body fluids. If I’m lucky enough to be in a public restroom where the sink is right beside the toilet, then I rinse it in the sink and reinsert. And, as ANYONE should do no matter WHAT they are using, I make sure I leave the bathroom as clean or cleaner than I found it.

I haven’t found it to be gross at ALL – in fact, I find the idea of leaving hundreds of thousands of blood-filled tampons and pads in landfills across the country MUCH grosser.

By: Betty

Betty — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:56:36 +0000

FYI – I just ordered from “the keeper” website. Thanks so much for the great information! I wanted to let you all know that “the keeper” is made in the USA – ohio, and “The Diva Cup” is made in Canada. During these times, I like to try to keep my business in the USA as much as possible. Also, I can tell by the advertising on their websites, that “the keeper” keeps their packaging simple. They are sent simply in a cotton bag made by retired seamstresses, while the diva cup comes in an admittedly cute, however, disposable pink box. It looked like it might also include a clear plastic element in the packaging. I went for the keeper and I’m hopeful!
I’m checking into reusable pantiliners on etsy to work along with my new keeper (I actually ordered the moon cup from their website).

By: Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:47:52 +0000

After much research, I bought a bunch of cloth pads from lolasoft on Etsy and I love them! I keep a plastic tub under my sink with Bio-kleen or Oxy-clean and water and soak until I’m ready to wash. I also bought a cute little fabric bag on Etsy that has a waterproof PUL-lined pocket for used and a nice fabric pocket for clean pads, so I can change them at work.

They are so absorbent (much more than disposable) – the only time I’ve ever gotten blood on the seat is with disposables, which I swear were less and less absorbent every time I got a new package. A large part of why I switched was because I was getting itchy rashes from disposables, too.

To respond about cotton tampons- not only are the bleached ones potentially bad (because of dioxins due to bleaching), but cotton uses a lot of pesticides and water is is very labor-intensive. Additionally, a lot of flushed waste ends up out to sea to wash up on beaches, or other nasty places.

I don’t think it’s realistic to compare my cloth pads to glorifying third-world living. We have washing machines, and these things are seriously no thicker or bigger than disposable pads – they’re comfortable, machine-sewn, and nothing like the thick cloths and belts of our grandparents’ age. I don’t spend any more time on my cloth pads than I did with disposables, when all is said and done.

The pluses, for me personally: they’re more effective (I change them less frequently), they don’t chaff or give me rashes, the adhesive doesn’t stick to my underwear and not peel off (like with some brands), I actually find them really fun and cute, they’re more economical, and they’re much better for the environment.

By: Leo

Leo — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:37:33 +0000

This is a great article! I’ve always been bugged by how much waste pads & tampons must make in the landfill, but I had never even heard of reusable options, or known anyone who used anything other than throwaways. I finally thought I’d google the topic and I found this. The options sound great, I’ll definitely make a change.

By: The Diva Cup

The Diva Cup — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:42:35 +0000

[...] I’m going to tell you right now that I gave my Tree Hugging friend Jennifer holy heck about the new “green” products for feminine hygiene in her post “Options Besides Disposable Maxi Pads & Tampons”. [...]

By: Tracee Sioux

Tracee Sioux — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:29:36 +0000

I know I totally freaked out about the Diva cup but I’ve found myself looking for it to avoid buying tampons ever again.

So, you did well. The peer pressure worked. I’m going to try to have a green menstrual period.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:18:00 +0000

WillowPads is a great brand of reusable cloth feminine pads, softer, less bulky, more absorbent than other reusables. Our pads are made in the US, supporting local moms. Check out our website: WillowPads.com for more information.