Plastic Free. Period.

This initiative focuses on the potential carbon saving, cost savings and health impacts for the residents of Frome, through switching to plastic free menstruation products.

Did you know that your choice of menstrual products can impact both your health and the environment?

Switching your period products means you can: 

• Reduce plastic waste
• Shring your carbon footprint
• Save money
• Reduce the impact of conventional products on your health

The average person who menstruates, who hasn’t yet made the switch to plastic free products, throws away up to 200kg of menstrual products in their lifetime. With estimates that period products are made of 90% plastic that’s a colossal amount of plastic being added to landfill, not to mention the amount of period waste that makes its way into our waterways. Resuable period products have significantly less plastic content and by switching to an eco alternative you will save adding to landfill and reduce water polution. 

On average, a year’s worth of a typical menstrual product impacts on climate with a carbon footprint of 5.3kg CO2 equivalent. For the population of Frome that could mean a whopping 72,000kg of CO2e per year.

And then there’s the financial cost – each period costs on average £10, that’s £130 a year and nearly £5,000 over a whole lifetime.

From a health perspective menstrual products often contain harmful chemicals such as phthalates, bisphenols and pesticides. Some of these chemicals are intentionally added, and others are unwanted contaminants. Brands don’t currently have to list ingredients so it’s hard to know which chemicals are in a product.

Frequently asked questions about plastic free period products

Introduction

If you’re just starting out on your plastic free period journey you’ve no doubt got a few questions and the practicalities of switching from disposable products. We’ve collected answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about period pants, reusable pads and menstrual cups. If you still have answered questions we’ve also added links to a variety of brands’ FAQ pages. It’s worth noting that all brands are slightly different so once you’ve decided on which one to try, we’d definitely recommend looking at the FAQs specific to their products.

What else is happening in Frome?

Our first wave of activity involved 1000 students across Frome engaging in educational workshops delivered in partnership with the Women's Environmental Network and their Environmenstrual Ambassador.

With the support of the local community, we've raised £1650 which has helped us provide 335 plastic free period packs to young people in Year 8 and 9 in Frome schools. 

We are continuing to deliver educational classes in local schools, during which we share tangible actions people can take, to care for themselves and the environment.

We’ve encouraged nearly 60 people to take the Plastic Free. Period. pledge to switch to sustainable menstrual and incontinence products. That’s a saving of approximately 340kg of disposable/plastic-based period and waste entering the environment.

We’re continually engaging with Frome residents via Frome Families for the Future Plastic Free. Period. workshops and pop-up stalls and distributing period pants to individuals who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford them.

We have secured a demo kit of different sustainable period product options, which we can now take to events and schools to help spread the word and raise awareness.

Listen to our specially commissioned poem, May The Pants Be With You

We commissioned spoken word poet, Liv Torc, to write a poem for our Plastic Free. Period campaign.

You can watch Liv recite the poem in the below video.