The “light green” letdown
I’m often awestruck at how infrequently feminine hygiene products are mentioned in those handy “20 everyday ways to save the planet” lists that show up in magazines, and how even environmental advocates often minimize or trivialize the issue. A current example: for those of you not already familiar with the Grist, it’s an environmental news and journalism site. Just a few days ago their advice columnist, Umbra, was asked to comment about reusable vs. disposable pads: here’s the article. She says that “reusable pads edge out disposable pads in the imaginary fight for eco-status”. Edge? Imaginary? 
I looked at her earlier post on the topic from March 2003, where in reference to disposable pads and tampons she says “What we have here are small, popular disposable products, and generally speaking, the environmental impact of small objects is not worth fretting over (electronics being an exception). Even if we had a complete data analysis of the waste and pollution implications of manufacturing tampons and pads, you ladies in the throes of womanhood know full well that there are other important factors at play in “sanitary product” choice, such as convenience, price, and comfort. Not to mention sanitary-ness, whatever that might be. Even if you do want to reduce your contribution to this minor environmental woe, there is a shortage of options in the moon-mama market.” News to me! According to the National Women’s Health Network, over 12 billion pads and 7 million tampons are used once and disposed of annually, clogging our overburdened landfill sites, not exactly what we’d call “minor.”
So it’s not such a big deal after all, ladies, and whatever “sanitary-ness” might be (nothing that might cause infection or disease, I’m sure) it’s of course outweighed by our unquestioned need for “convenience” and price (the need to pay more, in this case?), not to mention a supposed lack of options (give me a break!) In the current article, she also erroneously states that “tampons are made mostly from cotton.”, so at this point I’m feeling a little disappointed. Want to get your 2 cents in? Post to the current conversation in their blog here.
Sadly, this is not my only story along these lines: we have been trying for some time to get coverage at Idealbite, another groovy site that devotes itself to finding stylish eco-alternatives. We were disappointed with an article about feminine hygiene products posted in one of their tips from March 2006 in which the author concluded that green feminine hygiene products were “icky”. In order to disabuse them of this notion, we sent samples of our grooviest Lunapads (disco dots, anyone?) and crossed our fingers. No such luck - in a recent email to me, the reviewer concluded that because she had such a small apartment and so many visitors that she couldn’t find room to clean her Lunapads and therefore wouldn’t be writing about them.
While we’re respectful of personal choice, it seems a shame that as a reviewer she wasn’t willing to give it a whirl to pass info onto her readers. Further irony on this particular note is this blog post, where she oddly passes over trying a menstrual cup because she’s only “light green”, then bemoans that more people don’t talk about these things…. up to you, girlfriend! Be sure to read the comments following her blog entry, as over 40 women take the writer to task for being too grossed out to try it. We’d encourage you to let them know if you’ve had different experiences with natural menstrual products and the convenience factor; you can contact Ideal Bite here.
While I’m supportive of any effort that can be made to reduce environmental impact, given the state of things these days I’m getting a little impatient with the “light green” stance, whereby people insist that doing the right thing need not involve any exertion or sacrifice on their part. Sorry, but in my eyes that’s the “inconvenient” part of an Inconvenient Truth - one of these days we aren’t going to have a choice about whether a planet-saving choice is groovy or convenient enough for our liking. Clean air and water are things that we don’t automatically deserve - at this point we have to work for them, and in most cases it doesn’t seem like a heck of a lot to ask. Last note: this is the first of 2 posts - the good news one is coming up in a few days, so stay tuned!
January 17th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
i totally agree. i just posted a fairly lengthy entry to the gristmill which i’ve repeated here… “it is frustrating for us women who specialize in the natural feminine hygeine industry to have the discussion of ‘reusable vs disposable’ be trivialized. we know there are other things we can be doing that will have a greater impact, but the fact remains… most women aged 15-45 bleed every month. while we can choose to walk/ cycle instead of drive, we still need to deal with our blood.
we don’t think that reusables just ‘edge’ disposables. washing reusables does require water, but water is a renewable resource. the landfill problem however is immense, and isn’t getting any better. let’s also not forget that disposable pads are probably made from pulp from old growth forests in Canada and tampons are full of rayon and dioxins (incredibly toxic things to be inside a woman). effluents from the plastic, pulp and paper industries are also a greater hazard to the environment compared to the cotton manufacturing industry.
while we are also grateful for you mentioning cups (and to others for mentioning sponges) we wish you’d take a stronger stance on the reusable vs disposable argument, because in doing so, it will eventually shift people’s thinking and habits. (who here recycled paper when they were kids?) Yes, people can get stuck in their ways, but if women hear a stronger and more compelling message, it can make a difference. especially if that difference was made by all bleeding women out there!”
January 18th, 2007 at 11:12 am
excellent blog.
January 18th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I really am mad about the two websites point of view on reusable menstral stuff. They totally just blew off the part that tons of tampons with their plastic aplicators and plastic pads are going to sit in landfills because they are “just to small to worry about”.
Saying that reusable pads are barely better than diposables isn’t true. You don’t have to use extra water to wash them just throw them in the wash with your regular landry.
I’m bothered by the excuse to not use reusable mentral pads and the cup because say it’s hard to change a person’s habits on personal hygiene. habits are hard to change, yes, but they don’t even show links to those who’d like to try.
January 20th, 2007 at 6:38 am
“just to small to worry about”???
Well, as we all know: little things add up to big things!
I’ve never heard of “Light Green” before. What a shame. Once again Almighty Convenience is everything! Who cares about the Earth as long as we can buy it cheap and get rid of it quick.
January 20th, 2007 at 11:57 am
Thanks for following this up - I read the Grist article and felt the top of my head almost explode, but I’m glad other people had more constructive reactions…
(I’ve used first the Keeper and now the DivaCup for about 11 years now and can’t imagine going back to disposables… ever.)
January 26th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
I just have to say, if this 44 year old woman can change her ways, then any woman under 30 should find it simple. Lunapads ROCK!
February 3rd, 2007 at 9:17 am
“Light green?” I’ve never heard of this environmental cop-out before. Sounds a little like “choice feminism” to me: pick and choose the easy, non-inconventient parts for your practice and disregard the more personally challenging aspects.
I’ve been lunapad-ing and keeper-ing for nearly four years, and I’ve never felt less inconvenienced. I agree with this blog: before too long, we won’t have the luxury of choosing to be green when it’s convenient…we’ll have to do all we do now and more. Grey water, anyone?
February 3rd, 2007 at 10:04 am
I definitely agree with what everyone is saying. I’m not really a spokesperson for lunapads or other reusable products, although is people ask, I will freely speak about it. I feel that I’m a good representation for these products because I’m only 18, and most users seem to be older. I believe this is because as we age, we become more comfortable with our bodies, but I wish there was a way to converse with teenagers and young adults, because i think they could greatly benefit from lunapads and menstural cups.
February 4th, 2007 at 9:20 am
I am having a hard time getting a good cleaning routine going for my Lunapads. Not the right size soaking container, sometimes I hand wash immediately (at home), sometimes I put them in the washer, but I keep trying because using Lunapads is worth it! I’m doing something good for the planet, I don’t “smell funny” during my period, and I don’t feel like I’m wearing a diaper. O.K. so the when, where, and how often of cleaning is not convienent now, but when I get my routine going I know I’m gonna laugh at myself later and think “How come I didn’t think of this before?”
July 7th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
I use a combo of lunapanties and the Diva cup. They are so comfortable, the black cotton doesn’t show stains, and to clean them I just throw them in with my darks and use a presoak in the cycle. My husband thinks these bikini panties are so sexy that he doesn’t even know I’m on my period until I tell him.
March 14th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Read you in the Georgia Straight yesterday, way to go Luna ladies!
April 13th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
I hear you. I’m on a mailing list for student volunteering opportunities, and I got an invitation to help out at something called the “Go Green Expo.” Well, switching to cloth pads and a Diva Cup is really what got me interested in a “green lifestyle,” so I went to the website (http://www.gogreenexpo.com) to see if LunaPads or any other companies that make/sell reusable menstrual products were represented. Nope. None at all.
I went to another site (http://www.thegreenguide.com/) and found a similar lack of content. Sure, there was stuff about using cloth napkins instead of paper, but NOTHING about cloth sanitary napkins. How can this be? It’s a simple, cost-effective change that is good for women and great for the environment; why isn’t it represented in the mainstream “Green” movement?!
Anyway, I personally think you ladies at LunaPads should contact these people and educate them about reusables.