Some great options for reusable, recyclable menstrual products

I am at the age where I am at the end of my reproductive age, so to speak. With my age and experience, I can tell you that there must not be any menstrual product which I may not have tried. It is a fact that disposable sanitary pads are one of the worst offenders when it comes to littering the planet, though, ironically, they are the most convenient. According to some stats, 26 percent of women and girls are on their period on any given day. Can you imagine the mountains of sanitary pads and tampons which may be clogging our drains and making their way to landfills? A lot of these products have plastic linings which are virtually indestructible in our lifetimes. 

But the heartening news is that there are a lot of products being developed which are turning out to be one time purchases and reusables. It is so heartening to know that a lot of girls and women are fast switching to these products. 

Menstrual Cups
I tried a cup and honestly, I was not very comfortable with it. But I know of women who swear by it. It is a one time purchase, made of silicone. It will probably take some getting used to, but from women who wear it regularly, I have heard that there is no going back for them. One cup can last you many many years. It is a one time investment of approximately 200-300 rupees. But that is how much a pack of sanitary napkins will cost you, in any case. Nowadays there are cup sterilisers available too, to make this a much safer and cleaner experience. 

 Reusable cloth pads
I remember the time when my grandmother would tell me about how they would use their old cloth pieces as pads. It would be very cumbersome to clean and hang them in the open since our society has always been a little cruel to anything related to menses. To add to the problem, these cloth pads were not leak proof leading to accidents and spillages. It is not a wonder that women were asked to resign to one room in the house, just to avoid embarrassing leaks. It was given a religious colour eventually and women were oppressed in the name of menses and were considered unclean when they were on their period. Ironical, because menses are a simple act of shedding what is no longer needed inside the body. 

 So when I first came across reusable cloth pads, I was surprised that such a product would make its way into the modern time. I ordered a packet,  being the curious person I am, always trying this product and that. I wore one and to be more cautious, I wore it over a regular pad. But let me tell you, this was some kind of witch sorcery that was happening. Not only was the pad so soft, but there was not a single leakage, and to add to it, there were no stains either. The blood was soaked neatly inside the cloth and nothing leaked. They don't use plastic inside the pads either and I am told that they are making diapers with the same material now. This is a wonderful product and if you have the patience to wash and clean your pads every night, this is a wonderful product to use. These pads can last you for years and all you need is an investment of 7-800 to buy a bunch of pads which you can clean and dry in the sunlight. You can save thousands of rupees over the years and not to mention the amount of landfill waste. 

 Cloth period panties
These are simply leak proof panties that have an inbuilt pad like a cloth pad. I have not used this product since I do not want to be carrying a bunch of panties with me every time I go out. But having said that, these are an excellent option for those of you who are at home or who work from home. They are a bit more cumbersome to wash. But again, one product will last you for at least a couple of years. I think you will have to keep a set of at least 5 - 6 panties to last you through the entire period. And that is why, I think that among the three, the second one is the best option, marrying the old with the new and the right thing to do, 

With a passage of time, I am sure that there will be many products invented. But till then, we can chose any of these, one painful period day at a time.