Environmental Impact of Menstrual Care

Menstrual products are essential for health, hygiene, and wellbeing, enabling millions of people to manage menstruation safely and participate fully in daily life. However, while these products provide important benefits, many commonly used disposable options also have significant environmental impacts, particularly through plastic pollution.

Disposable menstrual products such as sanitary pads, tampons, and their applicators are often made from a combination of cotton, wood pulp, synthetic fibres, adhesives, and significant amounts of plastic. Most of these plastics are derived from petrochemicals and can persist in the environment for hundreds of years after disposal. It has been estimated that a person who menstruates may use more than 11,000 disposable menstrual products over their lifetime, and the environmental consequences of this consumption are substantial. 

Across Europe, tens of billions of disposable menstrual products are used every year, generating hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste. In 2017 alone, the amount of menstrual waste generated in Europe was equivalent to the weight of roughly 3,000 blue whales. Because many products contain plastic, they can take hundreds of years to break down in landfills. 

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Large numbers of pads, tampons, and applicators are also improperly disposed of and enter waterways and oceans, where they contribute to marine litter. In the UK alone, 2 billion of disposable menstrual products are flushed down toilets every year, contributing to sewer blockages and marine pollution. As these products degrade, they fragment into microplastics that can be ingested by fish, seabirds, and other wildlife. 

Beyond plastic pollution, concerns have been raised about the toxic chemicals found in some disposable menstrual products. Studies have detected substances such as PFAS ("forever chemicals"), traces of toxic metals including lead and arsenic, and fragrances and bleaching by-products such as dioxins. Once these substances leach from discarded menstrual products into soil and water, they can bioaccumulate in wildlife and natural ecosystems, contributing to long-term environmental contamination.

Organisations such as Women's Environmental Network have helped raise awareness by promoting greater transparency around menstrual product ingredients, advocating for stronger regulations and policies, and encouraging safer and lower-waste alternatives that benefit both people and the environment.

Reusable menstrual products, including menstrual cups, reusable pads, and period underwear, offer a practical alternative to disposable products. By reducing waste and limiting the demand for single-use plastics, these options can significantly lower the environmental footprint of menstrual care while continuing to support health, safety, and hygiene.

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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk

Image:

boy plastic waste - Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash (St ref: 1389)

Slide from WEN