What alternatives are there to tampons and what are they good for? We have an overview of all feminine hygiene products and tell you how ecological they are!
Usually it goes like this: we have our period and use a tampon. A short time later, it ends up in the trash. The same happens with pads and panty liners.
And at least 4 days a month, several times a day.
But have you ever wondered what happens after the hygiene products end up in the residual waste?
Every year, a large pile of waste is generated by once-used feminine hygiene products. 130 billion products accumulate worldwide. They cannot be recycled, end up in landfills or are incinerated.
It takes forever to break down a tampon or sanitary pad. More and more women are starting to rethink and look for an alternative to tampons.
Table of contents
We've done some research and listed all the options. From single-use to especially eco-friendly and reusable alternatives to tampons, you'll find everything you need to know here.
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Reusable alternatives to tampons
The most environmentally friendly and cheapest alternative to tampons is always when you can use them several times. While this was unthinkable for most until a few years ago, today more and more women are using such products.
This protects the environment and the wallet.
Fabric panty liners
Reusable panty liners come in different sizes, colors and now even patterned. If your days are getting weaker or you just have more discharge, cloth pads are a good alternative to regular panty liners.
They are sewn from cotton material and have an absorbent core.
Instead of sticking them in the panties, they are attached with a clipper. After wearing them go to the laundry and ready.
If you have a little skill with the sewing machine, you can even sew them yourself.
Tip: Washable panty liners can order online* or in organic and health food stores.
Fabric bandages
Similarly to panty liners, sanitary pads also work. They come in different strengths and thicknesses.
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However, a cloth sanitary napkin may sometimes not be enough, especially on heavy days. Then it's best to combine it with a menstrual cup. Which brings us to the next point.
The big advantage is that you can wash and reuse them. Which can also be a disadvantage at the same time. Because you should not be disgusted by blood. Washing works best when the blood is still fresh.
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Wash the pads out by hand with soap and then give them to the normal laundry. Most can be washed at 40° to 60°.
Menstrual cup as ecological feminine hygiene product
My favorite is the men's cup. I have been using it myself for over three years and would not think of using a tampon again.
Menstrual cups are made of medical silicone or natural rubber. They are used like tampons.
You can wear them for up to 6 hours, rinse them with water and reinsert them. This saves a lot of waste. You buy the cup once and can use it up to 10 years.
I have tested it: My experience with the menstrual cup!
The cup can also help with period pain. It is much more pleasant to insert and remove than a tampon. Especially on the weaker days.
Tip: You can order a menstrual cup from Amazon or buy one at the drugstore.
Period underwear
Do you know period panties? At first glance they look like normal panties, but they have some really wonderful features that let us get through the days well.
The four layers of the panties absorb liquid and neutralize odors. The panties feel dry and it can not leak.
There are briefs for strong, medium and weak days. A period panty for strong days can hold as much as 2.5 "normal" size tampons.
At 40 ° you put the panties in the washing machine and then you can reuse them at any time.
I can give you the Mylily period underwear* recommend. I use it myself as additional protection on strong days and have written a test article about it.
This is my experience with period underwear!
But do not worry: they do not look like love killers at all. Meanwhile, there are already pretty good-looking menstrual underwear. Even with lace.
For all women who bleed heavily, there is the possibility to combine the period panties with the menstrual cup. So nothing can go wrong, guaranteed.
Unlike conventional pads, such briefs do not give you the feeling of wearing a diaper or sitting on a pad.
In short, an underwear that looks nice and at the same time is an alternative to tampons and pads. You can also wear the panties when you don't have your period. For example, during sports or hiking to absorb moisture.
The free menstruation
Free menstruation does not require any hygiene product at all. However, you should know your body well and listen very carefully to yourself.
Because if you concentrate quite well, you can actually feel when the next blood comes off. That's exactly when you sprint to the toilet, let it bleed off, and then go back to work.
Ecologically sound. Practically feasible? For most women, rather not.
Environmentally friendly disposable tampon alternatives
Disposable feminine hygiene products can also be environmentally friendly. If you can't think of anything in a hurry, then you should read very carefully now.
Ecological tampons
If you can't get by with the above alternatives, do your body a favor and use tampons that are biodegradable and free of dyes and fragrances.
However, you will have to dig a little deeper into your pocket. But your health is worth every euro!
You can find the best tampons at Happy Mona. This is an online store that specializes in organic tampons and pads. The tampons are packaged in paper and are made from 100% organic cotton.
So you're also doing the environment a big favor. By the way, for every package sold, a tree is planted.
If you like this, enter the code WEGOWILD in the Happy Mona Online Shop. With it you get 10 % Discount on your order.
Find out more about Happy Mona here!
Natural sponges
Have you ever heard of menstrual sponges? To be honest, neither have I. They are still relatively unknown and not very common.
Because they grow naturally, they can also be rapidly biodegraded. This makes them a very environmentally friendly alternative to tampons. After the sponge comes out of the sea, it is disinfected and shaped.
Insertion works like a tampon.
The big disadvantage is that there is no uniform size. But with scissors they can be easily cut into shape.
Soft tampons as an alternative for the tampon
Soft tampons are neither an ecological disposable nor reusable product.
They are small pink sponges that are suitable for light days. They are known because you can have sex with them without your partner noticing your period.
This works because the sponge is pushed very close to the cervix. Unlike normal tampons, they do not have a return thread.
After a single use, the soft tampon ends up in the trash. So ecologically it fails.
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Why it's worth looking for tampon alternatives
Conventional pads and tampons contain lots of chemical substances. The absorbent cotton is bleached and treated. And finally ends up on the body's most sensitive mucous membranes. We absorb the chemicals through our mucous membranes. How this affects us has not yet been sufficiently researched.
But it is not healthy at all.
The problem is that there is no declaration requirement for tampons. Tampons are made of rayon, viscose and cotton. It is surrounded by a synthetic layer, which makes it easier to insert and remove.
The cover is made of polyester and polyethylene.
Pesticides, genetic engineering, dioxins produced during bleaching and formaldehyde from film packaging can end up in tampons. There are no studies on the pollutant content in a tampon. In tests by the consumer magazine Ökotest, 15 tampons and pads were examined for chemicals. Some were found in 11.
And then there's the argument about the mountain of waste. On average, women use disposable products every month from the age of 12 until menopause. That adds up to a lot of waste per woman that is difficult to degrade. And as I said, it can even harm our health.
Our conclusion
There are plenty of alternatives to tampons. Reusable products, in particular, quickly pay for themselves financially. The environment will also thank you. And your body anyway - because bleach and other chemical substances should have no place in or on our bodies.
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