Feminine Products and the Environment

[karrie]

This thread will contain discussions pertaining to the use and environmental impact of products meant for menstruation. This is a science thread, and will be discussed in those terms. People not wishing to read about such subject, or unable to participate in an adult manner, are asked to please not participate.

I went this week to stock up on feminine products, only to find that my preferred sanitary napkin brand has made a move to add wipes to the wrappers of all of their pads. More garbage added to the already copious amount that arises from the use of these products. As if switching to all individually wrapped wasn't bad enough, now there are two wrappers on each, and a wipe you may or may not use or need. It's hard to feel environmentally responsible when faced with the aisles full of these products.

So, I've been looking into options.

When it comes to preventing a product ending up in the landfill, it looks hard to beat the DivaCup

Does anyone here have any experience with this product? Horror stories? Successes?

Or any other products that they find good?

 

[darkbeaver]

OK. I agree to the terms, I'm interested.

 

[darkbeaver]

All right I won't read any of it. I'll leave you ladies to your discussion then. Geeze talk about sexism.

 

[karrie]

All right I won't read any of it. I'll leave you ladies to your discussion then. Geeze talk about sexism.

sexism... hell no. You're more than free to give your view on the enviro impact and possible alternatives.

 

[lone wolf]

Mmmmm ... doya know how hard it is to sit this one out?... Where else am I gonna share it?

Di'ja known that used female sanitary supplies can be frozen, and saved for deer hunting season? Hang them in various locations near the deer run to attract Bambi. I mean ... that's what rut's all about....

Okay ... back to you Karrie.....

 

[tracy]

I've used something similar. It could be messy to take out if you tilted incorrectly. It did allow me to trek through the Thai jungle without worrying about carrying tampons and creating a bunch of garbage. It wasn't something I'd use all the time though. It just grosses me out a bit to keep reusing it. I wound up going on Depo not long after that, so no periods to worry about anyways.

 

[darkbeaver]

I don't want to interrupt but I can't help notice the absence of skematics or diagrams, it may help the discussion if the plumbing challenged among us could be more aware of the various parts involved in the subject. I;ll just sit in the back quietly now, near the coffee machine.

 

[tracy]

Click on the link to the product Karrie talked about. They have pictures.

 

[darkbeaver]

Thankyou the link was very informative of a womans needs. I was entirely ignorant of the matter till just a few minute ago. It's quite a huge industry isn't it?

 

[Lester]

What did women use before all this disposable stuff came out? are gals unwilling to revert back to those solutions?

 

[lone wolf]

Weren't they like quarantined and fed with slingshots or something?

KIDDING GALS!

It's only been in the last fifty years you could even talk about it ... let alone what you do to forget about it. You've come a long way, baby!

 

[karrie]

What did women use before all this disposable stuff came out? are gals unwilling to revert back to those solutions?

I'd pondered the old ideas prior to considering the Diva. Frankly, it was watching my friends all go back to cloth diapers for their kids that made me realize how bizarre the mountains of garbage created are. Kids grow out of diapers. Women on the other hand use disposable fem products for years and years and years on end. It's staggering when you think about it. Convenient and nice and sanitary, yes, but staggering none the less.

 

[Lester]

If a guy wrote the above you gals would be all over us. Anyway my morbid curiousity is satisfied. I will consider this thread an elective on my education in "wimmins troubles"