Have you ever considered how much waste you’re producing every month because of your period?

Whether you use pads, tampons, liners or a combination of everything, these types of menstrual products are not recyclable and are not biodegradable.

In a woman’s lifetime, she will use over 11,000 pads and tampons that are made with plastic and chemicals that cannot break down in the environment.

Only 100 percent cotton tampons and pads are biodegradable and can break down in the environment over a long period of time. However, plastic components like a tampon applicator or the plastic adhesive on pads will take centuries to break down and is an unnecessary form of single-use plastic.

Tampons also contain chemicals like dioxin, chlorine and rayon that are not only absorbed into the bloodstream through the vagina walls, they also become pollutants in the environment when discarded.

Consider ditching everyday pads and tampons altogether and switch to a more sustainable period alternative like the menstrual cup.

A single menstrual cup will last a woman 10 years and is made of silicone. Although silicone is not biodegradable, it is the more sustainable option compared to single-use plastic because of the longevity of the cup before it needs to be thrown away.

The menstrual cup is inserted into the vagina where it creates a suction against the vaginal walls to collect blood. The cup lasts up to 12 hours before it needs to be removed, washed and reinserted for another 12 hours.

Popular brands of menstrual cups for beginners include the DivaCup, the Lily Cup, the Lena Cup, the OrganiCup and many more.

The OrganiCup is a personal favorite because not only does the company have a Natural and Organic Award, the products are vegan and the company prints the instructions directly on the box to reduce shipping and packaging waste.

If a menstrual cup isn’t something you’re ready to try, you can always switch to cloth pads which are reusable and can be discreetly snapped into place around your underwear.

Cloth pads are used just as any pad and should be changed every four to six hours. However, instead of discarding it, throw the cloth pad into the washing machine and dryer when you’re done to reuse it again.

Brands of cloth pads include Tree Hugger that plants a tree for every cloth pad sold, GladRags, hannahpad and many more.

Find the best sustainable alternative for your period and say goodbye to monthly period waste.