I’ve recently been thinking of ways I can “clean out my bathroom,” and reduce the unnecessary chemical and physical waste that become a byproduct of my time getting clean. But I came across a source of waste that has a very large impact on our environment, and not many solutions. Menstrual waste.
While some sanitation help springs for problems like the Condom Conundrum and recycling diapers, the fact is all those pads and tampons we go through once a month are technically classified as biological waste, making them near impossible to effectively recycle. But luckily there is a growing eco-friendly trend in the area of menstrual sanitation; the menstrual cup. Originally latex-based, menstrual cups are flexible rubber or silicone cups inserted into the vagina much like a tampon. The cups usually come in two sizes; a 4.3cm for women who have not given birth, and a 4.6cm cup for women who have. Most cups hold about three ounces of fluid and are easily emptied and cleaned. The best part, the cups are reusable, lasting about ten years and eliminating hundreds of pounds of waste that would otherwise be non-reusable.
Two companies so far have achieved FDA approval for the product, the Keeper Cup and the Diva Cup. After about six months of curiosity and high marks from two of my friends, I decided to invest in the $25 Diva Cup, mainly out of curiosity, but also in the hope that I would somehow be helping to reduce my footprint a little more.
I was very excited to try my cup, with such rave reviews and all the benefits of a tampon without the leaking. I found it rather hard to insert at first because of the folded position it needs to be in. Instead, the cup kept opening before it was fully in place, which was uncomfortable and took some practice to fix. The cup works through suction, catching menstrual fluid and being periodically emptied. Three ounces is more than enough volume to hold eight hours of fluid, and after the initial fuss, I found it barely noticeable.
The cup does need to be periodically washed in mild soap and warm water, and at the end of your period it’s recommended that the cup be boiled for sterilization, and as usual hand washing is a must, but so far there have been no reported cases of infection or TSS (toxic shock syndrome) with any of the cups.
On the whole, I am glad I invested in the cup- it works wonders. I feel great about it as an alternative to wasteful pads and tampons, not to mention that I won’t be having to buy a new one any time soon.
