Ella Daish is an environmental activist and founder of the #EndPeriodPlastic campaign. Her award-winning campaign is leading to significant changes in the period industry. It has resulted in four companies removing plastic tampon applicators from their products, saving over 28 tonnes of plastic annually, and has sparked many others to develop sustainable ranges. She is influencing manufacturers and supermarkets to make real changes and councils and governments to spend their period poverty funding on eco-friendly products.
Below, she shares her tips for a more planet-friendly period:
- My number one tip when ditching plastic on your period is to switch to a sustainable version of the product you’re already familiar with.
- Did you know that what you flush down the toilet can end up in the sea? A massive 1.5-2 billion period products are flushed in the UK each year. When this happens, they enter the sewerage system and if they are not captured, they end up in our rivers, flow into the sea and wash up on beaches, so make sure to dispose of them in the bin, not down the toilet.'
- If you’re ready to try reusables then I’d recommend opting for a menstrual cup if you use tampons, or washable pads and period pants if you use pads.
- Switching to reusable period products is a win-win. You save money and use less resources which is kinder to the planet.
- If you’re new to reusable period products, I’d recommend trying them out at home first, so that you can get comfortable and confident using them before heading out.
- If you use plastic tampon applicators, opting for a reusable applicator is a fantastic way of cutting down on single-use plastic, you’ll save around 286 a year by switching!
Find out more about Ella’s work to #EndPeriodPlastic at www.elladaish.com or sign her petition here www.change.org/endperiodplastic
Photographer credit: Lauren Shipley
