Why Does Sustainability Matter for Period Products?

When you’re picking a period product, what are you looking for? Most of us are probably looking for something that will get the job done - and hopefully be comfortable while doing it. Further, you probably want something that doesn’t contain any crazy harmful chemicals. But do you look for the most sustainable option? Does sustainability matter when it comes to period care?

Period products are one of the most consistent products that we use in our lifetime. A week every month for, on average, 40 years of your life! For most of us, that means using about 20 pads or tampons every month, throwing them & their wrappers in the trash. That’s a lot of waste accumulated over time!

In the United States alone, 12 billion pads and 7 billion tampons are thrown away every year. Most of these products are made of up to 90% plastic and will take 500-800 years to break down - if they break down at all! Let's dig in deeper: One traditional pad contains as much plastic as 4 plastic bags. During one period, you could be throwing away the equivalent of 80 plastic bags! That's a lot of grocery runs forgetting your reusable bags...

Sooo what exactly are we supposed to do about the period care sustainability problem? We can't exactly stop having periods...

Luckily, that's why we're here! Viv creates period care that looks and feels like the products you love, but with a much better impact on the earth. Viv Pads are biodegradable in just 150 days (compare that to the 800 years of traditional products!!) Switching to Viv pads for a years saves 8 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere and saves 3700 gallons of water, because Viv Pads are more sustainable at every step of their life cycle.

Viv Tampons are made of only one ingredient: 100% organic cotton. Using Viv tampons instead of traditional tampons saves 20 pounds of CO2 and 4700 gallons of water each year.

If you're looking for an even more sustainable option, reusable period products are the way to go. We designed the Viv Cup to be a beginner-friendly introduction to reusable period care. Menstrual cups sit inside, like tampons, but you can reuse them over and over, meaning your period becomes completely zero waste! Want to learn more? Check out the Viv Cup Starter Kit or our Learning Center!

Making sustainable choices doesn't have to be based in fear or guilt; it can be as simple as making the switch to a better product and supporting a small business while you're at it! Choosing toxin-free, natural options (in all parts of your life, not just period care) can help connect you to your body & the earth, and we're here to celebrate that!