What are period products made of?

Have you ever stopped to think what the period products you use contain? It is an essential, replenishable product and it appears we have forgotten to stop and read the composition of these products. Did you know that mainstream sanitary pads that you’ll find on the supermarket shelf are made of up to 90% plastic? Have you ever tried to find the “ingredients” on the box of your tampons?

It is insane to reflect that, in a time where sustainability is a buzz word and we continuously look for ways to become more environmentally-conscious, period products are rarely brought into the discussion. The purchase of period products is a habit and a simple necessity - you buy what you’re used to without questioning, you’re on the automatic pilot.  Maybe it is time to change that!

A recent article (December 2022) in the Economists Science & Technology Section highlighted exactly the concerns that so many of us in the industry have had - the lack of research and funding has meant we shockingly do not have access to the facts even if we want to.  

Want to know what’s in them…?

Menstrual pads and liners from many brands contain something they call 'Super Absorbent Polymers' (SAPs) which are derived from crude oil, or polyester, polyethylene and polypropylene, none of which are biodegradable.

Not only does the manufacturing of these menstrual products result in the destruction of our ecosystem, but they also continue to harm our planet long after our lifetime. Menstrual pads manufactured by leading brands take at least 450 years to biodegrade.

And as for the tampons they are not simply cotton as one might expect, they contain rayon, cotton and polyester.  All of these ingredients damage our delicate eco-system.

Still wondering why that is that so bad..?

Aside from the damaged caused to the environment in producing the products, there’s the fact that they are far from ‘pure or chemical free’ and they are being placed in intimate contact with our bodies on a regular basis for 35 years of our lives.  Now if that is not enough, put all that aside - and consider what is left behind once you have used your period products…PLASTIC.  Plastic that takes at least 450 years to decompose…. and a woman uses on average 11,000 single-use plastic menstrual products in her lifetime!  The impact is HUGE…

Organic Mondays are proud of our ingredients so we disclose them!

We created Mondays to offer plastic free (fossil - fuel free) period products, made of GOTS certified organic cotton, with NO plastic, synthetic chemicals or any other substances that can harm the planet (and potentially your body). 

We are proud to list what’s in our products!