Plastic Free Periods

Not everyone is in a position to make swaps to plastic free periods, but if you are, it’s well worth investigating the switches you can make and having a go. 

I’ve been plastic free for many years now, thanks to menstrual cups, but since having my twins I’ve added a few other pieces to my plastic free period kit, and thought I’d share a little about them in case anyone finds it useful! 

Menstrual Cups

I find menstrual cups make my periods very easy to manage – they can take a little getting used to, but once you’ve got the hang of it they make life so much easier. 

A menstrual cup is quite literally a little cup that’s made of silicone and designed to sit in place and catch your period blood. Once it’s in, you shouldn’t notice it at all, making life on your period really easy! They’re easy to clean, and they last for many years, thus a great swap for a plastic free period! 

Cloth Sanitary Pads

If you already use cloth nappies for your baby then this is the easiest swap in the world, as you look after cloth sanitary pads in exactly the same way (which I’ve written about here). I tend to use cloth sanitary pads on my lighter days, or when I can’t remember where I’ve put my cup! 

Just pick a size to get you started, pop it in your underwear (the same way you would with a disposable pad) and change as needed. When you wash them, use detergent but no fabric softener, and that’s pretty much it! 

I really enjoy the fact that cloth sanitary pads are so pretty, and I just wash them with cloth nappies so I don’t have to worry about any extra laundry! I’ve got cloth sanitary pads made by Fern, and Bloom & Nora – they all work well for me but lots of brands sell trial kits which makes it easy to work out what’s best for you.

Period pants

There’s been a lot of hype about period pants in recent years, and I can totally see why. I have a pair of WUKA period pants and they feel like regular knickers! I find these are great for over night or extra protection if you’re worried about leakage. They’re easy to look after as they just need a quick rinse in cold water before going in a normal wash cycle.

The only issue I currently have with period pants is that they’re not always very size accessible. I hope to see brands expanding their range of sizes to make them more inclusive! 

There are some other options out there if you want something different. Cloth tampons exist, as do labia pads! With all the amazing options available to people who have periods, it’s becoming increasingly easy to have plastic free periods!