Lunapads Blog

I wanted to thank you again for donating Lunapads samples along with some coupons and information for my program on reusable feminine hygiene products. I had the program tonight at 7, and it went over really well. I started by telling the girls my thoughts when I first heard about reusable menstrual products and how disgusting I thought they sounded but that after looking into the products more, I realized they weren’t so nasty after all.

On that note, I asked that the girls keep an open mind going into the program and said that they could judge the crap out of me at the end—after they had the information. That got a chuckle. I followed that by talking about the amount of waste generated by disposable products and then talked about the cost and savings of using green products. I had samples from three different companies, so I told my residents about the different brands and how they differ slightly in their construction and absorption. I know a lot of my residents use tampons and are also extremely active in the outdoors, so I spent the next half of the program telling the girls about menstrual cups and how convenient they can be because you don’t have to worry if you packed enough tampons for your trip and there is no waste to pack out when camping. That’s one thing I love about menstrual cups; it takes the guess work out of how much “supplies” I need to bring on trips!

The group of girls that came was really open to the concept of reusable products and that made the program run very smoothly. They were very interactive, and I discovered that two of the girls already use cloth pads and love them. That was awesome to know because they were willing to share with the group their experience with cloth pads.

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Art by Jen Vaughn: comic artist extraordinaire

It’s been a bit of a tradition for us to celebrate all things DivaCup in the month of May at Lunapads. Spring is in full swing and the mind tends to wander to daydreams of summer; camping, playing in the woods, swimming at the ol’ swimmin’ hole, outdoor festivals and concerts, vacation time! As many Luna-folks already know, the DivaCup is your BFF when it comes to having your period while experiencing the great outdoors and many other summer activities. For the uninitiated, here’s the scoop on the cup: Read the rest of this entry »

Pads4Girls has taken many shapes over the years, from making and sending out Kits ourselves, to supporting padmaking workshops to inspiring full-blown businesses. The most recent iteration is called Transformation Textiles, where our role has been as relationship connectors and fundraisers.

If I were to go all the way back on this story, this would be a very long post indeed. Rachel Starkey is one of our all-time Pads4Girls supersheroes. A professional garment manufacturer by trade (I should add that she’s also a nurse, Mother of four and social change visionary into the bargain), she is also a longtime friend and colleague. She credits her original inspiration for making something useful out of waste to a blog post we wrote about Tsunamika dolls in 2007. What could she make out of the waste fabric from her factory, she wondered?

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What if you could take something that was going to be either burnt, landfilled or made into plastic pellets, and make it into something highly useful that could have a major social impact for very little money? Cool, right? We call it Transformation Textiles (TT), it rocks, and this is how it works.

Major sporting goods companies and mass market retailers make bathrobes, tank tops, track pants etc by the millions in factories located primarily in developing nations. You knew that. What you may not know is what that actually looks like. Consumers typically focus on things like worker safety, fair wages and factory conditions in these transactions: fair enough – they are super-important issues. What you may not have thought about, though, is the waste that it generates. Imagine rolling out dough and cutting cookies from it – the pattern pieces for making clothes are the same as the cookie cutters, and the fact that they’re not square means that there will be leftover dough – or fabric in this case. Normally this waste, called “offcuts”, is thrown away.

While most offcuts aren’t big enough to make anything large, there is ample opportunity to place patterns for small things (say for example menstrual pads, or parts of a pair of underwear), or things that could be pieced together, in the master marker – all it takes is willingness on behalf of the manufacturer. Rachel Starkey is a longtime friend, colleague and Pads4Girls supporter who is pioneering this thought-leading movement.

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Anna Ebert wrote to us in March of 2012 to inquire whether we might be able to supply 50,000 Pads4Girls kits: we were amazed! It has taken some time to work out the details, however we are thrilled to announce that distribution of 10,000 “Transformation Textiles” (pads and panties made from waste fabric from mass-scale garment production) Kits will commence in July 2012.

For just $5, you can donate a kit made of 3 pairs of adjustable-size panties and 6 pads to a girl in need – thanks to Anna and Transformation Textiles. Donate here.

Here is Anna’s story about her work in Malawi and why she reached out to us:

“I work amongst the Tumbuka tribe in northern Malawi. There are approximately 1.4 million people there. I feel they are a forgotten people; difficult to reach….but not impossible.

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Fun, colourful fabrics are one of the best parts of using Lunapads. Using something beautiful instead of something bleak and boring makes having your period more tolerable. Who doesn’t get a kick out of choosing Lunapads to suit their mood…or outfit! Everyone has their favourite print. That’s why we get so excited when we get new fabrics in at Lunapads.

It just so happens that 2 new fabrics have recently arrived at our factory. Before we can put them up on the website, we need your help in giving them catchy names. Suggest a name in the comments below; if your name suggestion is chosen, not only will the name live on in infamy on our website, you’ll also win a Sampler Pack in the fabric that you’ve named! You can enter as many times as you like. Keep in mind that we like descriptive names, ones that include a colour…and we’re always suckers for alliteration! The first fabric will be paired with black fleece, and the second with bubblegum pink. Be sure to tell your friends about the contest on Twitter and Facebook, too. A free Sampler pack is a great way for a cloth pad newbie to get off the fence and on their way to more eco-positive periods.

Our superstar customer service leader Sara is leaving Lunapads to pursue an exciting opportunity working in Ghana in June. Are you her replacement?

Job Description: Customer Service Leader
Start Date: May 28, 2012
Availability: Full-time / Monday – Friday
Location: Vancouver BC, Canada

Lunapads is a unique mission-based business that specializes in natural feminine hygiene products. For almost two decades Lunapads has built an enthusiastic community of progressive individuals seeking greener and healthier personal care choices. We are seeking a patient, sensitive and values-aligned Customer Service Leader whose desire to support our customers is matched only by her efficiency in doing so.

Summary: As our Customer Service Leader, you will be the primary point of contact for all end user customers. As “The Face of Lunapads” your responsibility is to meet all customer needs, concerns and questions in a timely, efficient, supportive and engaged manner. You feel genuine empathy for women, girls and other menstruators and are grateful for the opportunity to hold space for their diverse experiences and truths. Key values that you hold include compassion, safety, supportiveness, humour, respect, and intimacy.

Responsibilities:
- Establish and maintain positive relationships in all communications via telephone, email and live chat correspondence
- Efficiently manage the flow of order processing, from downloading online orders to preparing shipping documents
- Distributing and analyzing customer surveys
- Product education and purchase assistance for walk-in customers

Other responsibilities may include providing support in the following areas:
- Office administration and mailing: distribution of samples, media releases and Pads4Girls thank you correspondence
- Order fulfillment
- Blogging and social media
- Community event sales and education

Qualifications:
- Demonstrated passion for customer service
- Flexible team player with personal values in alignment with our corporate values
- Creative self-starter with excellent time management, organizational and reporting skills
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and networking skills
- Technical proficiency with computers and social media

Remuneration: Commensurate with experience

Requirement: Send resume and cover letter outlining your interest in Lunapads and why you would be an excellent fit for our growing organization to jobs@lunapads.com. No phone calls, please. Thank you and good luck!

Can you tell us about you and what brought you to start Girlvana Yoga.
I wanted to inspire the next generation of women. I was really seeing the pressure teens are under to look, act and be a certain way. I have experienced how powerful yoga has been in my life as at catalyst to becoming the most authentic version of myself. I thought that the teachings of yoga needed to be translated to younger girls. I had tumultuous teen years growing up as a competitive dancer struggling with body image, self-esteem and self worth. I wanted to share my story and empower these girls.

Girlvana Yoga is an interesting name, how did you come up with it?
It came to me in the middle of the night. I couldn’t sleep, so I hopped on my computer and started brainstorming the blend of Sanskrit words with ‘girl’ and ‘teen.’ Girlvana comes from the root word Nirvana that means free from suffering or a way out. I want to give girls just that- a way out of suffering.

What is Girlvana all about?
It is about self-expression and celebrating your uniqueness. Yoga is a lifestyle. The physical postures are just one element. I want girls to be themselves and yoga is one way to really explore who you are on a deeper level. Yoga is everything from the way you treat your mother, to the food you put in your body, to the way you perceive the world.

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There are a couple of cool local events coming up where the Lunagals will be hanging out: want to join us?

Opportunity #1: Volunteers wanted May 11-13!

We need a few volunteers to help out at EPIC sustainable living expo, May 11-13 in Vancouver. Do you love Lunapads and answering questions from curious fence-sitters about them? This could be the gig for you! It will be a rockin’ consumer show showcasing 300 of Vancouver’s most progressive businesses, and many featured events, including seminars on stylish, sustainable living.  Show up for us and you will get free admission to the show as well as a few Lunapads goodies. Contact komara@lunapads.com if you’re interested.

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A week ago Suzanne and I presented our first TED talk as part of the Berlin-based TEDxChange event that was also held at satellite locations in 193 cities. TEDxChange was convened by Melinda Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (the event’s strategic partner), the theme was “The Big Picture”, with a stated goal of addressing global issues. Here in Vancouver the banner was flown by TEDxKids@BC, a dynamic, youth-focused TEDx chapter.

What’s not to love about TED talks? Some of our office faves include Simon Sinek’s Start with Why, Brene Brown’s The Power of Vulnerability and Leymah Gwobee’s Unlock the intelligence, passion, greatness of girls. What knocked our socks off about the @BCKids event was that a bunch of teenagers and young adults could be as poised and confident in telling their stories as you would expect from a seasoned TED speaker. Not to mention the gravity of issues and experiences that they brought to light: check out these examples.

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