How would you feel about getting sat on by a panda?

Sure, they’re cute. But you probably wouldn’t want one to sit on you. They’re too heavy for that.

Think for a moment on how much that cuddly bear weighs.

That bear has the same weight as the lifetime period product waste from an average woman.

It’s quite a lot when you consider a tampon only weighs about 2 grams.

Tampons and pads may be light and small, but they often come with a lot of non-biodegradable packaging, contain synthetic fibres, and can take significant resources to produce.

Here’s what the potential landfill waste from a single packet of tampons can look like:

Let’s take a closer look at how the environmental impact of tampons adds up…

The Scale of Tampon Waste

Are Tampon Materials Biodegradable?

The materials in your tampon will vary by manufacturer, but here are some of the materials common in the tampons and packaging of leading suppliers in Australia:

• Cotton (bleached or unbleached, organic or not)

• Rayon (bleached or unbleached)

• Polyester (often in the withdrawal cord)

• Polypropylene

• Polyethylene

Cotton

Rayon

Polyester

Polypropylene (PP)

Polyethylene (PE)

Sustainable Alternatives to Disposable Tampons

So, disposable tampons could be reasonably eco-friendly or could be causing centuries of damage, depending what’s in them and around them (the packaging).

There are some small changes, and some complete alternatives you could choose, to minimise the environmental impact of your period products. But it’s not all bad news when it comes to the trusty disposable tampon.

Here are some ways you can start being more sustainable with your period:

Ditch the Applicator

Choose the ‘Right’ Tampons - Look for Biodegradable Materials

Aside from minimising plastic by avoiding the applicator, you can also choose your tampon brand carefully to minimise the plastic in the packaging and in your body.

By law in Australia, all tampons sold must disclose their ingredients on the packaging somewhere. Look out for the potentially eco-damaging and body-unfriendly materials we’ve covered above, such as polyester, polyethylene and rayon.

100% organic cotton varieties are likely to be the most sustainable option.

For the most common tampon brands, no, you cannot.

You can generally tell by the look and feel of the wrapper - if it’s plastic, unless it is compatible with your local recycling collection then it is destined for landfill where it will spend the next 450+ years. If it’s a paper wrapper, you can probably recycle it with general paper recycling. To be sure, check the details on the packaging.

16 out of 27 tampon varieties on the shelf in our local Coles also had a single-use plastic wrap over the box, in addition to each tampon being individually wrapped in single-use plastic. If you can find an option with no plastic in the packaging, you’ll be helping your environmental footprint even more.

Reusable Alternatives

What Works For You?

Choose carefully when buying your period products and you may find that you are putting nicer materials into your body or changing your period habits entirely.

Either way, you could cut down on that 140kg adult male panda’s worth of landfill that many women create by handling their periods on autopilot, without a conscious eco-friendly approach.

One small act you could make right now is to share this article with someone you think might care about the environmental footprint of period products - if they change to a more sustainable habit, then you’ve helped the planet just by sharing!

Have you made a switch? Do you have a sustainable alternative that we haven’t covered? Let us know in the comments.