The best brands of zero waste feminine care

Zero waste feminine care takes many forms, depending on what suits you. There are menstrual cups and washable pads, or plastic-free disposables made from organic cotton or bamboo.

Mooncup makes menstrual cups (with collapsible cleaning cups to buy as a bundle) and organic pads and tampons. It also sells washable period pants.

Avoid tampons (or menstrual cups) for at least 8 weeks after childbirth. Always bin used feminine care and wrappers (even if compostable, as they could clog pipes).

Although it’s not a medical device, DAME Period Cup is made from medical-grade materials and certified to normal safety standards for personal care products.

• Bin all disposables (never flush). Avoid menstrual cups (and tampons) for at least 6 weeks after pregnancy (or if at risk of toxic shock syndrome). Some people can’t use them, so check with company or GP.
• A hot water bottle on a clothed tummy for 30 minutes usually calms menstrual cramps.
• Wash reusables with a microfiber filter (avoid fabric conditioner, bleach and tumble dryers).
• To remove stains, rinse with cold (never hot) water, rub in a small amount of gentle soap, rinse again, then wash as normal, using oxygen bleach.
• If you use washable pads or period pants, launder in a microfiber filter to stop synthetic fibres leaching from machines into the sea). 

DAME (a zero waste feminine care brand)

DAME. Period Cup is made from medical grade materials, designed to replace disposable tampons, and one purchase should last you years. Easy to use and clean. Just rinse and re-use due to sanitising coating. Sold in 2 sizes (depending on age and childbirth history).

This menstrual cup stays put due to a vacuum seal. Then after removal, just rinse with cool water until clean, using gentle soap if needed. The dry and keep it in the optional storage bag. Unlike some brands, you don’t need to boil this period cup between uses.

How to use DAME period cup

Period cups work a little different from tampons, in that they collect (rather than absorb) menstrual fluid. This actually makes them safer to use to help prevent toxic shock syndrome (though you should still empty them a few times a day, and follow the instructions given).

They take a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, they are very comfortable and easy to use and remove. If you are using it properly, it should not leak unless you have medically heavy flow.

How does this period cup clean itself?

The DAMA Period Cup contains biocide-free Saniconcentrates™, so after rinsing, it’s resistant to nearly all bacteria and viruses, so there is no need for sterilising and boiling. These will also not rub or degrade.

Most menstrual cups are boiled for 5 to 10 minutes to clean, but with this one, you just rinse under clean water and dry, then store in the cotton bag. If you have no access to water, just wipe clean with a tissue before reuse.

If using in public bathrooms, ideally rinse before emptying. If you are uncomfortable about doing this, again pat with some bathroom tissue before reuse, and then rinse when you get home.

DAME organic cotton tampons and pads are the ideal alternative to plastic disposable feminine care. They are plastic-free and free from chlorine bleach and animal testing. The range includes organic tampons or cotton pads (delivered in letterbox-friendly postal packs).

Ideal if you use more affordable tampons without applicators, the starter kit includes organic cotton tampons and a storage tin, along with a cotton zip pouch for travel.

DAME tampon and pad dispenser (for public bathrooms)

DAME. Public Tampon Dispenser is ideal for schools and offices, each dispenser fits 70 organic cotton tampons and 60 organic pads. The dispenser is made from post-consumer plastic waste and manually operated, designed to last 10 years.

Flo (bamboo disposable feminine care)

Flo is an eco brand of period care, from menstrual cups to bamboo pads and tampons, all in sustainable packaging (you can find them in some chemists and Superdrug). The tampons are made with sugar cane bioplastic applicators.

Hey Girls (a social enterprise feminine care brand)

Hey Girls is a social enterprise that offers menstrual cups (with easy-to-use sterilising cups), plus organic cotton pads and tampons, and donates one to a girl or woman in need, for each one bought. The washbags are made from recycled ocean-bound plastic.

Cheeky Panda (bamboo disposable feminine care)

Cheeky Panda is a brand of eco-friendly sanitary pads, if you prefer to use disposables. Made with 100% bamboo, industrial bamboo is not the same as fresh shoots eaten by pandas. Although bamboo is not local, it’s from the world’s fastest growing grass (3 feet a day!)

These pads are packed in recycled cardboard boxes, and feature a compostable film and breathable absorbing lining paper, so they are also far more comfortable in warmer weather.

Don’t sell plastic disposables to Africa

Don’t support big tampon companies that ask you to donate to send plastic pads and tampons to Africa.  They are difficult to dispose of and could cause HIV in poverty-stricken countries that may share items.

Afripads are locally made from a blend of recycled paper and papyrus leaves, to give local men and women good jobs, and help millions of menstruating women, so they can attend school or work.

The idea was inspired by Moses, an engineer who ‘couldn’t stop inventing things’. Sent to a village to ask how he could help, two women hit him over the head with a (clean) sanitary towel, and told to him to go off and invent something better. So he did! Moses is no longer with us. But he has left an empowering legacy for African girls and women.