november blog post

Every day, billions of disposable hygiene products are used and thrown away—pads, tampons, diapers, wipes, cotton swabs, and even disposable razors. While these items are essential for health and daily comfort, their environmental impact is often overlooked. As global consumption rises, so does the strain on our planet. Understanding the environmental cost of disposable hygiene products is the first step toward making more sustainable choices and advocating for change.

A Growing Waste Problem

Disposable hygiene products generate enormous amounts of waste. A single person who menstruates may use 5,000–15,000 pads or tampons in their lifetime. Meanwhile, babies can go through 6,000 diapers before age three. These products typically end up in landfills, where they take hundreds of years to break down due to the plastics, adhesives, and chemicals used in production.

Wet wipes—often marketed as “flushable”—are another major issue. Many do not fully break down, contributing to sewage clogs, water pollution, and the formation of massive “fatbergs” in sewer systems. Collectively, these products create a long-term waste burden that future generations will inherit.

Plastic Pollution and Microplastics

Many disposable hygiene products contain plastic components, from the outer layer of pads to the applicators of tampons. As these plastics slowly degrade, they break into microplastics that contaminate soil, rivers, and oceans. These tiny particles can harm marine life, enter the food chain, and even be inhaled or consumed by humans.

A large percentage of beach pollution worldwide includes menstrual products, diapers, and wipes—items many people don’t typically associate with marine debris. But because waste management varies globally, a significant amount of hygiene waste still ends up in natural ecosystems.

Resource-Heavy Production

Beyond waste, the production of disposable hygiene items requires enormous amounts of raw materials. Cotton, for example, is widely used in tampons and wipes but is one of the most water-intensive crops. Plastic production relies on fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. The energy and water needed to manufacture billions of hygiene products annually contribute to a heavy environmental footprint long before these items even reach consumers.

Healthier, More Sustainable Alternatives

Fortunately, eco-friendly alternatives are more accessible than ever. Reusable menstrual cups, period underwear, reusable cloth pads, and biodegradable tampons reduce waste significantly. Compostable wipes and bamboo-based diapers also offer greener options for daily hygiene needs.

Switching to reusable products not only helps the planet but often saves individuals money in the long term. Even small lifestyle changes—like choosing products with less packaging—can collectively make a meaningful difference.

What We Can Do as a Community

Creating change starts with awareness. By educating ourselves and others about the environmental impact of disposable hygiene products, we can shift consumer habits and encourage companies to develop more sustainable solutions. Supporting community hygiene drives that include eco-friendly options, advocating for product transparency, and promoting recycling or composting where possible all contribute to lasting progress.

      We see many women that struggle with period crises. One of which includes many women in Gaza struggling with lack of menstrual products as well as basic hygiene. This leads to health consequences to many of the women in the community. We see that almost 90% of the water and sanitation system is destroyed or damaged. Statistics have  shown that over 1.1 million women in Gaza struggle to find clean sanitary facilities. The high inflation of pads in Gaza makes it difficult for women to buy the necessary period products they need in order to manage their period. We see that the many pharmacy stores raised the price of period products by at least 5 or 6 times. For example, we see one woman from Gaza, Owada, talking about her experience, showing her experience online and showing the harsh conditions she has to face. The harsh realities of dealing with these drastic hygiene admits in these camps. What she documented shows the effects of period poverty in the world and to the community. 

     Effects of period poverty

 There are many horrible effects of period poverty such as health,mental health, and economic problems Many women won’t have the necessary products to help them deal with periods during the time of the month which is a major health risk to many women and young girls around the world. Many schools and workplaces also don’t have the proper hygiene care, which allows the women to wear period products for a long time, without changing it is also a major health risk. This can cause major diseases, infections to many people. Also this causes major mental health issues as many women are embarrassed about not being able to take care of their period properly. This causes the issue not to be brought up about, and the steps in order to get help. This was also a major impact in the economy because it loses educational opportunities, and it causes many absences from work, and causes a national crisis for the community. This shows that we must take steps in order to end this period of crisis. 

Steps people are taking to stop the period crisis

However, many people are taking action against this period amidst the crisis. One of the ways is people are donating many menstrual products to places all around the world to make sure young girls and women are able to manage their periods. Also, many people are also making sure that many countries have proper sanitation facilities, and making that accessible for women to be able to have proper hygiene. People are advocating and making sure that period poverty is heard around the world, so that women know that it's a serious issue that should be solved. The government has made sure to eliminate unnecessary taxes on period products and increased them in health coverages. Finally, many people have helped and volunteered in different organizations and places around the world to support in ending this horrible crisis. 

Call To Action

You can also take steps to help with ending period poverty by supporting organizations that help end period poverty such as petitions. Educate others and raise awareness about period poverty. Donate period supplies and hygiene supply to organizations and shelters etc. Finally, we can advocate and protest for a change in period poverty.