We need to talk about how environmentally friendly our menstrual products are

arth Day is an annual celebration of the planet, but as the years go by, the event is becoming more about ways to protect our increasingly threatened planet.

As a result, more of us are examining our daily habits and making minor changes to our routines that will make our lives more eco-friendly.

One of the biggest ways women can make sustainable changes is by adapting their choice of menstrual products. Yes, really.

For example, consider the plastic that is used to package tampons, whether it’s the casing or the box itself.

Additionally, tampons, sanitary pads and pantyliners contribute to more than 200,000 tonnes of landfill waste each year.

And more than 1.5 billion menstrual items are flushed down the toilet each year in the UK alone.

But don’t lose hope, because there are so many sustainable menstrual products out there: you just need to know where to look.

A good place to start it by working out how much waste your non-reusable menstrual products are creating by using INTIMINA’s Greentimina Calculator.

The tool is designed to calculate the amount of waste a person produces while using non-reusable period products during their active menstruating years.

Did you know that the average woman used11,000 disposable menstrual products during their lifetime, and more often than not, they’re not disposed of in a sustainable way?

And that’s just the environmental side of things. Have you ever worked out how much money you spend each year buying tampons and pads?

New data from INTIMINA has revealed that the average woman will spend $731,900 for pads in a decade, or $512,600 for tampons.

All things considered, it’s no wonder why more women are turning to menstrual cups: a cheaper and more sustainable menstrual product.

An individual menstrual cup can cost just $25,last 10 years and create no waste. When you compare that to the financial and environmental impact of pads and tampons, it truly is a no brainer.

INTIMINA offers two different types of menstrual cups, which cater to different needs.

The Lily Cup Compact is the world’s first collapsible menstrual cup, which makes it ideal for stashing in your handbag on your way to work.

It’s made from 100 per cent medical grade silicone that means it’s easy to use and doesn’t contain any of the pesticides, fragrances, rayon, bleached cotton, or dioxins that pads and tampons can.

Like with all menstrual cups, you can leave it inside you for eight hours at a time, meaning you can say goodbye to those frequent trips to the toilet with tampons tucked up your sleeves.

If you don’t think that’s the one best suited to you, consider the Ziggy Cup, which looks like a flexible half-circle instead of a cone.

The USP for the Ziggy Cup is that it has an extra thick ridge, which means you can actually wear it while having sex and not notice any blood coming out. You can now save 20% across INTIMINA’s flash sale until 12th April, shop now.

This means you can wave goodbye to messy period sex and say hello to this cleaner future. But do remember that menstrual cups are not an alternative to contraception, so you will still need to practice safe sex for protection from STIs and birth control.

If you want to purchase both, so you can change them depending on your mood, make the most of the Pink Amore bundle, which includes a Lily Cup Compact, Ziggy Cup, and a Feminine Moisturizer, all for just £80.89, meaning you can save some money for something else.

You can also enjoy free shipping by purchasing one of the bundles.

Now you know, go and enjoy a greener, cheaper- and possible less messy – menstrual cycle.