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After a three-year break from my period (due to pregnancy and breastfeeding), my cycle kicked back in harder and heavier than ever. It was a bit of a shock to the system. I made the switch to organic period products in my early 20s because I wanted to reduce the number of chemicals in my body and my home. But there was still a lot of waste going into the bin, into the landfill, every cycle. At the time I was living in the rainforest in North Queensland, Australia and had been doing lots of research into where the waste goes and what happens to it. It felt really important to me that I began to reduce the amount of waste that myself and my family were creating. One of the ways I did this was I made the transition into using reusable and sustainable period products.

Waste is cancelled!

Did you know that over 800 million used sanitary products end up in landfill every year? Single-use pads and tampons are responsible for about 200,000 tonnes of waste per year – most of which contains plastic. On average, an individual female will use over 150kg of Pads and Tampons in their lifetime, the majority of that will end up in the ocean or in landfills. Over the next 50 years, Australian females could collectively contribute a whopping 1,890,000,000kg of useless, wasted, plastics, unless we as women begin to make more sustainable choices when it comes to our period products.

Go organic!

Most conventional pads and tampons aren’t made entirely with cotton; they include toxic synthetic materials such as BPA, rayon, and polyester. The cotton that conventional pads and tampons are made with is grown with toxic pesticides, and then these materials are often bleached with chlorine to give them that ‘perfect white’ look. When a woman uses products like these she is putting these chemicals next to or into one of the most sensitive and absorptive parts of her body. Using products like these regularly could cause health issues in the long term. Take charge of your well-being by eliminating toxin & chemical-filled products and replacing them with an organic alternative.

So how does it work?

Making the transition into using sustainable period products is fairly simple. Have a look at the options available and choose what’s best for your body and your cycle. Things you may want to consider are the length of your cycle, the heaviness of your flow, your age, whether or not you have given birth and your lifestyle. Rudie has an excellent range of period underwear, teen period underwear, period swimwear, and eco pads available. You wear them when your flow begins and they can last up to 8 hours before you need to change them. They are also great to wear on those just-in-case days when you know your period is due to begin. No more embarrassing blood stains or emergency dashes to the supermarket are required!

Used underwear or pads can be soaked in a bucket of water and then washed in the washing machine. If you are out and about you could store them in a wet bag until you get home. After they have been washed, hang them out to dry in the fresh air and they will be ready to use again the next cycle. It’s similar to how you wash cloth/reusable diapers for your baby. And since these products can be reused over and over for several years you are saving yourself money as well as taking care of yourself and the planet. It’s a win-win-win!

If you are ready to make the switch to sustainable period underwear or eco pads check out Rudie's website to view their range. And when you’re ready to order use code SIXTHHOUSE at checkout to receive 15% off your Rudie order!

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