Menstrual Cups : Greener, Cheaper, + More Comfortable

The problem is that products like tampons and sanitary pads create a lot of trash.  Even when you choose more environmentally friendly products that are 100% unbleached cotton or don’t have plastic attachments, those products still wind up in the garbage can.

Can you believe it?  We’re each throwing away 16,800 pads or tampons.  Over 12 million pads and 7 million tampons are heading to the US landfills alone.*  Ouch.  That’s killing our environment, and if you think about it, it’s not exactly cool for the wallet, either.

You and I have jumped into a lot of paper-free and disposable product discussions over the past months at Making This Home (on stuff like a paper-less bathroom, paper-less nose blowing, and making a paper-free kitchen).  But there’s one teensy tiny topic that I keep asking myself should I write about this?  Should I really mention the topic of a simpler and greener menstrual cycle to the world at large?

Here goes.

Menstrual cup.

There.  That’s big and large and intimidating me.  Menstrual cups have a way of doing that to people.

Have you ever heard of a DivaCup, The Keeper, Moon Cup (shown above), or any of the other reusable menstrual cups?  Different brands are sold all around the world.  They’re insertable and washable cups that catch menstrual flow.  Most are made of silicone.  You fold them and insert them with a twist.  The basic technology of this product has been around since the 1930s.

So why so many tampons and pads out there?

Because menstrual cups scare the heck out of us! They’re pretty weird sounding, aren’t they?  You’re using a silicone cup and ummm washing stuff at the sink so you can reuse the cup again.  It took me a couple of months to take the plunge.

But today, years later, I won’t ever go back to tampons and pads.  Here’s why:

1.  Menstrual cups are cheaper.

The cups cost $20-$35 and last for years – some packages say “lasts a lifetime”.  I confess I got a little envious when I saw how much cheaper they are now after several years.  It’s like newer cheaper big screen TV envy for the simple girl.

2.  They’re greener.

Again – the whole trash thing. No need to beat those numbers to death.  But still – eww.  Trash!

3.  They’re comfortable.

The first cycle that you use a menstrual cup seems to be sort of awkward for most women.  (It’s that way with any first down there, though, right?)  The next time around you feel like a pro, and periods become the most comfortable that I’m pretty sure they could ever be.

When I first decided to go for it, I poured over forums and websites (including this useful FAQ) for reassurance.  Hopefully I can give that thumbs up for anyone wondering today.  I feel like menstruation isn’t such a big frustration anymore.  Now they just rhyme.

4.  They’re kind of everywhere.

You can get menstrual cups online with free shipping or at most natural grocery stores.  If they don’t have it on the shelves, they’ll probably order it for you. (The link is for the same one I’ve been loving for years.)

5.  They’re serious space savers.

Did I ever show you our bathroom in Germany?  No?  Well that’s because a camera can’t even fit in there.  I have no idea where I’d stash all my monthly goods.  You only need one little cup.  It comes in a fabric bag for storage, and that’s it.

(I donated all unused pads and tampons to a local women’s shelter.)

6.  More people use them than you think.

I used to think this was something I could never talk to anyone about.  Then I got brave and told a best friend after a year or so.  She laughed and said, “Oh yeah!  I’ve been using mine for like four years.”

It’s surprising how much they’re catching on, and it’s definitely a good example of a loved product going viral by word of mouth.  I sort of tell everybody, and it seems like I’m not the only one.

So there you go.  Now I’m telling you.

Let’s start a discussion – if you have any questions or fears, please share.  (Anonymous comments TOTALLY okay.)  If you have experience with a menstrual cup, will you chime in with any thoughts or tips?  You remember how weird it was the first time!

*Data from Pleasure Puss, and images from Diva Cup and Moon Cup.