zerowaste

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Discussing ways to reduce waste and build community!

Celebrate thrift as a virtue, talk about creative ways to make do, or show off how you reused something!

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DIY Menstrual Pads - cut down on waste and save money (lemmynsfw.com)

submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Not my website! Just a cool thing I encountered. I no longer have periods, but when I did, my flow was incredibly heavy and I spent a lot of money on pads (and of course threw away hundreds of them). I know reusable pads aren't an option for everybody, but they're definitely a great way to reduce waste! Of course, another good option would be buying menstrual underwear etc, but as someone who sews I thought I'd share this for other people who sew <3

(Also you can do cute patterns!)

A few fun facts:

Cotton cloth pads smell better because they allow moisture to evaporate (rather than it being trapped in by plastic)
You can wash them by hand or just rinse them to throw in with the rest of your clothes
Research estimates that people who menstruate use about 11,400 pads in their lifetime

Hope this is helpful for someone!

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

On a related topic,

Days for Girls International https://share.google/9Shnc8BV7c8Owc5Q4

Is working to end menstruation stigma with education (for men and boys as well as girls and women), end period poverty by distributing pads and liners and underwear and also teaching how to make replacements, and give girls/women back the days they lose from school/work due to their periods.

Edit: they have now also started to distribute menstrual cups, which can be used with a pad as backup, for heavier days.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

that's wonderful!! I know in a lot of cultures women and trans men face a lot of shame for menstruating. I mean, even in the US people are still mocked with stuff like "oh you must be on your period," boyfriends refuse to be seen buying pads, etc...