Page 32 - Masala Lite Issue 163 July 2024

SUSTAINABLY Sustainable Solutions

STYLISH @ira_concept) which is not harmful for the environment or their health. You can buy
I have two teenagers and they use reusable pads and reusable period underwear. They
also occasionally use a compostable Thai sanitary napkin brand called ira (Instagram:

this brand from Tops supermarket. I have been using a menstrual cup for five years,
and personally love it. I have started perimenopause symptoms and I am so grateful
that I discovered the menstrual cup. It is so comfortable and easy to use.
The menstrual cup I use is an Indian brand called Shecup (Instagram: @clubshecup).
If you live in Bangkok, the best menstrual cup is Cupsofjoie (Instagram: @cupsofjoie).
PRUDENT I have met the founder a few times and I love her passion towards sustainable,
comfortable and economic menstruation. She has addressed all these
PERIODS concerns in the menstrual cup; it’s high quality and it can be used for up
to 10 years. This option will save you money and it will prevent all the
potential health risks of using plastic pads.

Aparna Sharma takes us The reusable pads we buy are from Ecofemme (Instagram: @ecofemme), a
women-led social enterprise based in Auroville, India. They also deliver to
on a journey into
Thailand. This is a tried and tested brand, and I have visited them and met
sustainable menstruation. the women who make the cloth pads. They are committed to sustainable
menstruation education and changing the perception that cloth pads
are difficult to use. My older daughter, who is 17 now, has been using
their products for almost four years and she is very happy. You can also
Let’s begin with the cons of using disposable period products. Did you know that buy soap from them, and the pads are easy to wash and made from organic cotton.
most sanitary napkins available in the market today have high amounts of chemicals
linked with cancer, according to a study done by a Delhi-based environmental NGO? My younger daughter uses reusable period underwear, all of which is from Indian
brand called Soch Green (Instagram: @sochgreen). I recently came across another
An average woman starts menstruating at 12 years of age and reaches menopause at period underwear brand called Mahina (Instagram: @my.mahina), and I’m considering
around 50 years, and she will use disposable pads for approximately 2,000 days in her buying from them for my younger daughter, as their reviews are good. When you
lifetime. In recent years, many studies have shown that synthetic plastic materials start your child on sustainable menstruation, it also encourages them to be more
have been used as liquid absorbents to improve the functionality and softness of responsible towards the environment and makes them take responsibility for cleaning
sanitary pads and these are associated with potential health risks. In addition to their reusable period products from a young age.
these risks, disposable pads with chemicals and plastic in them are also associated
As consumers, we have the power to vote with our wallet. When we collectively stop
with environmental hazards. It is difficult to dispose of them because they cannot
biodegrade, and burning them or allowing them to stay in landfills causes methane supporting period products which are made from chemicals and synthetic fibres, the
corporations will stop producing them and making more sustainable alternatives.
emissions, which further pollute the air and contribute towards climate change.
You have to be the change you want to see in the world. Together, each one of us
I met a gynecologist who told me that it is better to start raising girls on sustainable can create a planet which is free from landfill pollution by choosing products which
menstruation and that is what we follow in our household. She mentioned that are circular and environmentally friendly. Are you ready to begin your plastic free
she often meets patients who have rashes from pads, and that most disposable menstruation journey?
pads increase the risk of cervical and ovarian cancer. She also mentioned that most
popular disposable pads are made by big corporations, and it is often difficult to
Aparna Sharma is a non-conformist who believes that fashion must become a
completely expose them because they don’t offer any transparency or traceability. force for good and style must meet sustainability. She breaks down the
Most countries currently don’t enforce laws that ensure that corporations clearly
nuances of slow fashion and how we can stay stylish without being trendy.
mention the components which go into making a plastic pad.