Menstrual products are essential items for individuals worldwide, yet their widespread use contributes to significant environmental concerns especially with the use of disposable period products. In the Western world, a majority of people who menstruate use disposable period products.
According to the World Bank, more than 300 million women worldwide are menstruating per day. An estimated 500 million lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities to manage their menstruation.
Menstruators could use more than 10,000 menstrual products over their lifetime. The lack of waste and sanitation infrastructure in developing countries can result in improper and unhygienic disposal of period products, leading to both sanitation issues and negative environmental impacts. Disposable pads, tampons, and menstrual cups generate large amounts of waste, since they predominantly are made of plastic and other non-biodegradable materials.
Thus, Love Your Menses (LYM)’s EcoMenstrualFlow initiative aims to create an awareness of the environmental impact of disposable period products on the environment and to encourage the use of eco-friendly menstrual practices.
We wholeheartedly believe that being a good steward of the environment is truly an integral component of upholding menstrual equity.
The basis of our EcoMenstrualFlow initiative
Our organization continues to evolve within the menstrual ecosystem and has realized the importance of addressing the waste issue. By proposing tangible solutions to this problem through global reforestation efforts, we hope to offset and mitigate the impact of menstrual products on the environment.
Students in Liberia Planting Trees (April 2024)
Earlier, we established that menstruation is a natural and normal biological process experienced by about 300 million people daily. It is also estimated that over 12 billion disposable menstrual hygiene products are utilized each year, and the environmental footprint of menstrual products poses a significant challenge, especially with the use of disposable products.
Annually, the production of single-use menstrual products emits around 245,000 tons of CO2. Disposable pads and tampons are typically made from plastic and are non-biodegradable, taking approximately 500 to 800 years to decompose in landfills.
Additionally, some menstrual hygiene products in some pads and tampons could contain dangerous chemicals, such as pesticide residues, bleach, and phthalates. These cause harm to the body and the disposal of these products contributes to pollution and resource depletion.
Below, we assert four main environmental issues associated with menstrual management:
- Plastic Pollution: Disposable pads and tampons are major contributors to plastic pollution. According to research, the average person who menstruates will use approximately 11,000 disposable menstrual products in their lifetime, most of which end up in landfills or waterways.
- Resource Depletion: The production of menstrual products especially disposable ones require significant amounts of water, energy, and raw materials, further straining natural resources.
- Carbon Footprint: Manufacturing, packaging, and transportation of menstrual products contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating climate change.
- Improper Disposal: The improper disposal of menstrual waste products presents a global challenge, significantly contributing to plastic pollution. A study conducted by Candor Health Education found that improper disposal of menstrual products contributes to environmental degradation and poses risks to human health. Improper disposal, including flushing products down the toilet, leads to water pollution; additionally, incinerating menstrual waste releases harmful toxins into the air.
Our Solution: a Sustainable Period Product Initiative
To address such devastating consequences, LYM introduces a proactive, multisectoral approach to mitigate the environmental impact of menstrual products through reforestation initiatives and environmental awareness.
We will be planting and caring for over 100 trees globally and annually through our EcoMenstrualFlow initiative, which aims to positively impact carbon emissions by both planting trees and fostering awareness through education.
We request that as women and girls begin to have access to affordable, sustainable and quality period products, they should be conscious of using more environmentally friendly products. However, in addition to this goal, EcoMenstrualFlow encourages young girls and women to consider the concept of reforestation, the process of growing trees to help maintain healthy forests, as they purchase period products.
To us, reforestation for period products will someday make a big difference in the environment, especially as an opportunity to reverse the effects from the use of disposable products.
Our “eco-friendly” education on menstrual waste disposal and workshops will educate the youths and their parents on various period products and increase awareness of the materials involved in their production. Also, students will be educated on the creation of cost effective reusable menstrual pads and menstrual cups.
In addition, we hope to converse with policymakers to encourage the distribution of organic disposable or reusable products. LYM will work with school and community centers to provide education on proper menstrual waste disposal practices.
Because many toilet facilities lack trash bins for the disposal of sanitary pads and hand washing facilities for menstruating women to handle menstrual hygiene, they resort to burning, burying or flushing products down the toilet. By educating women and girls about how to properly dispose of their products, we hope to prevent the pollution of the air, soil, rivers and oceans.
Insights from the Center for Environmental Health and Education on the impacts of improper disposal of menstrual products will guide LYM’s educational initiatives.
Finally, we are collaborating with our LYM program managers based in various countries, including James Gitari from Kenya, as well as those in Haiti, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Gambia, Liberia, Uganda, Ghana, Lesotho and the United States. We hope to identify suitable reforestation sites, purchase seeds, and recruit our “EcoPeriod Champions,” who are students that will receive a stipend to care for the trees. EcoPeriod Champions will be enlisted from various environmental and climate change clubs in schools.
LYM hopes to plant fruit-bearing trees within the community as a secondary solution, providing nutrition to communities especially in developing countries. We plan to monitor and evaluate this initiative as it progresses.
Reasons behind Reforestation
Planting a tree will allow for carbon sequestration since trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas responsible for climate change, thus mitigating its effects on the environment. Reforestation helps restore habitats for various plant and animal species, helping to contribute towards biodiversity conservation.
Planting trees will also prevent soil erosion, improve water retention, hence, promoting soil and water conservation.
We envision a global network of reforestation and education projects, spanning diverse ecosystems and communities worldwide. By planting trees in areas most affected by deforestation and climate change, and educating women and girls in areas where they face the most stigma and lack of support during their menses, the organization aims to create lasting environmental impact that will benefit the future generations.
Our EcoMenstrualFlow Initiative aims to address the intersection of environmental sustainability and menstrual health through reforestation initiatives and health education programs. By planting and nurturing trees that bear fruit while simultaneously advocating for an end to period poverty globally, we can contribute to the creation of a more resilient and ecologically balanced world for the future of our youth.
Written By Ebere Azumah, Allaire McDonald, Amyre Barker, Ilyssa Otto, James Gitari, and Alpha Kamara
