It’s only a silicone moon(cup)
18th August 2014
Why aren’t we talking about alternative sanitary products in the context of the tampon tax? There’s a more economical and environmentally-friendly option.
What struck me when the petition and articles started circulating this summer about the UK tax on sanitary products, was that so many of us are paying for them in the first place. Not just because they are apparently more essential than crocodile meat, which is not taxed, but because there’s an alternative that will save thousands of pounds: the menstrual cup.
The knee-jerk reaction to this suggestion, at least in my experience, from those who have used tampons and pads unquestioningly since their first period, tends to be, “Gross!”. So, to hopefully dispel the myth that it’s unhygienic and awkward, here are my reasons to use the Mooncup:
It saves money
A Mooncup costs £19.99. With that price tag, people are put off, but it doesn’t take much effort to do the calculations. Compare it to buying around 11,000 tampons and sanitary towels over a lifetime, which is a cost of about £3-4,000 for us (and for parents - although some of my friends had to spend their pocket money on pads and tampons as teenagers, while their brothers bought magazines).
It saves space and time
The Mooncup comes with a handy little eco-friendly bag. No more bulk-buying tampons or pads and taking up cupboard or suitcase space. No more shopping for them or forgetting to carry spares.
It’s comfortable
The Mooncup takes practice to insert, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s extremely comfortable. You empty and rinse it every 4-8 hours (depending on how heavy the flow is) and after a night’s sleep. It holds 3 times as much as a tampon - if you swim or play sport, you can do so for longer. Also, there is no more worrying about which size tampon to use at the tail end of your period. You only have to think about size when you purchase your first one.
It’s healthy
The Mooncup is completely hygienic. You just need clean hands and water to empty and re-insert. It’s latex-free, hypoallergenic and non-absorbent. Tampons, on the other hand, leave fibres behind and cause dryness as they absorb a lot of natural moisture.
The Mooncup has the added benefit of measurement markings, so you can be more in touch with your body and more easily identify any changes in blood loss that may indicate health issues.
Prove The Telegraph wrong
This article claims that the mooncup is a symbol of the “hypocrisy” of middle-class envionmentalism - a fad that only middle-class mothers subscribe to. Therefore, the author makes a political decision to not jump on the bandwagon. The Mooncup can be a symbol of feminism, anti-capitalism and gender advertising, environmental protection, or it can simply be more practical.
This video
Environmental benefit
Tampons and sanitary towels are terrible for the environment. 4.3 billion disposable sanitary products are used every year in the UK and where do they end up? In landfill or in the sea.
We have the power as consumers to be the change we want to see. Plainly, the burden of protecting the environment and the guilt of this waste should not rest unequally on the menstruating population, so as not to compound the structural and social shaming related to having periods in the first place (see Dominique Christina’s brilliant ‘Period Poem’). This is particularly complex in the developing world (there are a growing number of initiatives increasing access to the use of sanitary products globally). But, especially here in the UK, moving to the Mooncup is an easy lifestyle change to make for many.
It’s an insult to have to pay tax on any sanitary product, but we should be cautious about asking for a policy change that ignores the larger environmental and social issues, and is uncritical of the companies and individuals that financially benefit from us seeing the tampon as essential.
This month, try the Mooncup for yourself: http://www.mooncup.co.uk/how-to-order.html