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Vanshika Tushir
Content Writer @ Earth Root Foundation, Satyawati College, University of Delhi, New Delhi
(Published on: 11 January, 2022 @10 PM)

The menstrual cup, the term itself, seems rather peculiar, doesn’t it? But why is that? Well, it’s simple, no talk, no awareness. Despite 2022, most menstruated individuals are accustomed to conventional ways of managing their period. According to The Menstrual Hygiene Alliance of India (MHAI), approximately 121 million women use disposable sanitary pads.

While society combats issues like menstrual equality or period poverty, the impact of necessary sanitary products on the environment fails to make the cut in the conversation. Disposable pads and tampons are dominating the menstrual world, and simultaneously deteriorating the environment. It takes about 500-800 years for a sanitary pad to and 20 years for tampons to break down. On the other hand, one single menstrual cup can be reused for 10 years, and it also has minimal impact on the environment as compared to tampons and pads.

There are several period products that are environmentally friendly, such as reusable pads, menstrual cups and reusable tampons. A menstrual cup is a reusable feminine hygiene product. It's environmentally friendly and pocket friendly also. Menstrual cups are estimated to have less than 1.5% environmental impact of disposable and save a person who menstruates 2,400 pads or tampons in their lifetime. Unlike pads or tampons, a menstrual cup, instead of absorbing the period blood, collects it.

Pursuant to, Dr Michael Brook, a silicone expert at McMaster University, menstrual cups are, indeed, a greener alternative. Silicone is a pretty green ingredient. The material is derived from silica, a type of sand, and as it decomposes, it slowly returns to its original state; the second most abundant mineral in the earth’s crust and is not hazardous to the environment.

All in all, menstruation can be dealt with in a healthier and more hygienic manner. At the moment, there are several environmentally period products, for instance, reusable pads, reusable tampons and a menstrual cup. However, the menstrual cup struck out to be the greener option. 

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