Feminine care is a massive industry. They make billions of dollars by selling disposable products to consumers who need the product they sell. Don’t even get me started on tampon tax.
Last year was the first time I’d ever heard of menstrual cups. To those that haven’t heard, menstrual cups are small, hospital-grade silicon cups that women insert into their vaginas during their periods. They operate under the same idea as a tampon, except instead of cotton soaking up menstruation, menstrual cups collect it and need to be emptied periodically throughout the day.
What struck me about menstrual cups the fact that they’re reusable. As a woman trying to reduce her environmental footprint, one of the huge changes I can is cutting out my use of disposable menstrual products.
The maximum number of hours that a woman can wear a tampon for is eight hours, but they’re usually changed more frequently. That adds up to anywhere between three and six tampons going into the trash everyday of a woman’s period. For women who wear tampons and pads at the same time, the number can double.
In just one menstruation cycle, a single woman can add dozens of disposable pads and tampons to the world’s ever-increasing landfill. Now think about the planet, populated by billions of women who will have a period every month for several decades. The amount of garbage is staggering.
The DivaCup is one of the menstrual cups available in Canada. About six months ago I invested in one for about $40. Compared to the price of tampons and pads, this can seem pricey, but the reality is that a menstrual cup will pay for itself many times over. The DivaCup lasts for 10 years. Imagine 10 years of feminine care trash being removed from landfills for just one woman. Now imagine it for 1000 women, or 10,000…
It’s not all milk and honey though. Menstrual cups are definitely a more “up close and personal” way of getting through your period. It’s fairly reliable against leaks, but if you let it overfill things can get messy. It can also take a few cycles to nail how to insert and remove the cup. After you get the hang of the cup and know how it works with your body it becomes second-nature, and as easy to use as traditional products. The only difference? Zero waste!
As women, we should be able to have an open dialogue about our bodies. I tend to be a private person, but when it comes to singing the praise of menstrual cups, you can hear me from the rooftops. For more information on The DivaCup, check out their website. Change your world.
Note: I have not been paid in any way to endorse The DivaCup
Topical Sav 
I LOVE my menstrual cup too! So easy once you get used to it, one-time purchase, no more bringing your purse to the bathroom… I could go on and on and on
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I’m a DIVA *
This has saved me SOOOO MUCH MONEY.
It takes a little getting used to and relies on some skills to master the literal ins and outs of it, but one of my greatest purchases so far.
However, If you happen to have long fake nails… beware the difficulties.
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Thanks for writing this post! 🙂
I switched to the diva cup last month and I will never buy tampons or pads again! There are so many positive things about switching to a menstrual cup, like saving money, less waste, holds more fluid than pads/tampons, don’t need to worry about toxic shock syndrome, and for some it reduces the smell sometimes associated with periods. Again like you said you need to be fairly comfortable with your body as these cups need to be hand washed and cared for properly. But that’s a small price to pay for such a wonderful product.
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Buying my DivaCup was the best decision I ever made. I recommend it to everybody. I have it down where I can go a whole day without checking it, so I can always do it in the comfort of my own home. Sometimes I even forget I’m even on my period. It’s the best thing ever.
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