Women have been menstruating forever, yet disposable period items have only really been around for a blip in history. Luckily today there are quite a few options for zero waste periods.
So, how did women deal with their periods in ye olden days?
Funnily enough, there isnโt exactly an abundance of information recorded around periods. There was heavy shame surrounding women and their monthly cycles, thanks to the patriarchy and church. Periods were also associated with witchcraft, with lots of superstitions surrounding the topic.
In the medieval era, it seems that women just bled onto their clothes, but tried to hide it and used herbs to detract from the smell of blood. Or, they would use rags to absorb the blood.
In the late 1800โs the โHoosierโ Sanitary Belt was invented, which held washable pads in place. Kinda reminds me of a chastity belt!

Around the same time, the first disposable pads became available for sale by none other than Johnson & Johnson. The 1920โs saw the first tampon, while the 1970โs brought about the first adhesive disposable pad.
Righto, now that youโve had your history lesson, letsโs talk about options for zero waste periods in the 2020โs.
These days we have different ways to collect the blood and absorb the blood, so that we can go about our daily lives without a worry.
Options for Zero Wast Periods:
- Menstrual Cups
- Cloth Pads & Liners
- Period Underwear
- Cloth Tampons
- Organic Tampons
The benefits of transitioning to zero waste periods are many.
Not only will you be reducing the amount of waste that youโre personally producing, but you will be keeping toxic chemicals out of and away from your body. Yep, you read that right. There are chemicals involved in the production of menstrual items which can cause various cancers and also increase cramping. No thanks!
A zero waste period will allow you to be much more self-sufficient. No long will you have to rely on having a stash of supplies from the supermarket on hand or stress when itโs Saturday night, your period arrives and you realise youโre all out of pads!
As a modern society we have become way too reliant on the supply chain meeting our every need and have forgotten how to be self-reliant with what weโve got on hand.
Benefits of Zero Waste Periods:
- Cheaper (no monthly costs for disposables)
- More sustainable (no or low waste)
- Self-sufficiency (no more relying on supermarkets for your supplies)
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Options for Zero Waste Periods
Menstrual Cups

Menstrual cups are a soft, silicone piece that is inserted into the vagina to catch the blood. Once inserted, the rim of the cup will suction to the vagina wall and can safely stay in place for up to 12 hours!
The cup can take a bit of getting used to when it comes to inserting and admittedly, theyโre not for everyone. A bit of organic coconut oil is helpful as a lubricant while youโre trying to figure it out.
To remove the cup, use the stem to pull it down and press on one side of the cup to release the suction.
You can empty the cup into the toilet and rinse it at the sink, then reinsert if need be. You can also remove and rinse while youโre in the shower.
If you find yourself needing to empty your menstrual cup in a public toilet, just use a bit of toilet paper to give it a quick clean, then reinsert until you get home.
MENSTRUAL CUPS | |
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Made From | Medical grade silicone, latex or rubber |
How Often to Change | Good for up to 12 hours |
How to Clean | 1. Empty blood into toilet or down the sink 2. Rinse under cold water 3. Sterilise clean menstrual cup in a pot of boiling water on the stove before next period |
Price | On eBay from $5.99 AUD โ |

Cloth Pads & Liners

Reusable cloth pads and liners are fantastic!
The pads are generally made from natural fibres, such as cotton, hemp and bamboo. They fasten to your underwear with a snap clip, instead of the adhesive backing youโd find in the disposable variety. You just use them as you would a normal pad or liner.
Iโve found that making sure youโre wearing a nice, firm pair of underwear helps to keep the pad snug and in place during the day. I like to use them overnight when Iโve got my period and going to bed.
Once youโre finished using the cloth pad you can either throw it into a bucket of water to soak, or just rinse it under a cold tap. Hang to dry or leave soaking in the bucket until you next put a load of washing on. Throw used cloth pads into a lingerie bag, then put through a cold wash with the rest of your laundry. Hang to dry.
There are many different size and style cloth pads on the market to suit all sizes and flows.
CLOTH PADS & LINERS | |
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Made From | Natural fibres (cotton, hemp, bamboo) |
How Often to Change | Every 4 โ 6 hours (depending on flow) |
How to Clean | 1. Soak in bucket of cold water or rinse under cold water 2. Hang to dry until youโre ready to wash 3. Throw into a lingerie bag and wash on cold with regular laundry |
Price | On eBay from $8 AUD โ |

Period Underwear

Period Underwear are literally undies that have an in-built absorber (kinda like a pad). Theyโre actually really comfy and feel much less bulky than wearing a pad with normal undies. Plus, you donโt have to worry about leakages.
Modibodi are an Australian brand, which Iโve been using myself for a few years. I still have my original pair of period undies and love them.
Period Underwear are great for:
- Day or night time use
- Period, pee, perspiration and pregnancy
- Multiple styles, sizes and absorbencies
Iโm going to be getting a few pairs of period underwear for my daughter as she nears puberty. These panties make the transition into womanhood so much easier for young girls, rather than having to deal with disposable pads in public toilets.
PERIOD UNDERWEAR | |
---|---|
Made From | Can be a mix of bamboo, cotton, merino wool or synthetic fibres |
How Often to Change | Every 4 โ 6 hours (depending on flow) |
How to Clean | 1. Rinse under cold water 2. Hang to dry until youโre ready to wash 3. Throw into a lingerie bag and wash on cold with regular laundry |
Price | On eBay from $25 AUD โ |

Cloth Tampons

So, a cloth tampon is basically a piece of fabric with a string attached to one end. You roll it up to resemble a normal tampon, then insert as usual. They also come in the crochet variety (mostly sold by homemade businesses on Etsy).
To remove the cloth tampon, just use the string to pull it out.
When it comes to washing the tampon, youโll need to rinse it under cold water until the water runs fairly clear, then lay it out to dry. When youโre ready to do a load of washing put all of your little cloth tampons into a lingerie bag and wash in cold water as normal. Hang to dry.
Once your period is finished for the month and all of your cloth tampons have been washed, theyโll need to be sterilised ready for next month. To do this you throw them into a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, then hang to dry.
I havenโt personally tried cloth tampons as yet, so if youโre looking for an honest review, hereโs the run down from a lady who used a crochet tampon for the first time.
Things to note with cloth tampons:
- May not last as many hours a a regular tampon for those with a heavy flow.
- Can be tricky to insert due to them absorbing moisture as they go in.
- Need to rinse after use (not always convenient when out and about).
- Need to boil clean cloth tampons in a pot for 10 minutes to sterilise.
CLOTH TAMPONS | |
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Made From | 100% organic cotton & should be Oeko-Tex certified (guaranteed free from chemicals) |
How Often to Change | Every 2 โ 6 hours (depending on flow) |
How to Clean | 1. Rinse under cold water 2. Lay to dry until youโre ready to wash 3. Throw into a lingerie bag and wash on cold with regular laundry 4. Hang to dry 5. Sterilise in pot of boiling water for 10 mins |
Price | 8 Pack โ $39.95 AUD > |

Organic Cotton Tampons

If youโre really not keen on making the move from regular tampons, thatโs totally okay. Simply making the switch from regular tampons to organic cotton tampons will still be making an impact.
Organic cotton tampons are free from bleaches, chlorine, coatings, pesticides and perfumes. With cervical cancer on the rise, we certainly donโt need any of those nasties inserted alongside our most sensitive bits!
How long does it take a tampon to break down?
- Organic Cotton Tampon: 6 months โ 5 years
- Regular Tampon: 500 โ 1000 years
If you have a compost system at home, you can break up or cut up your organic tampons and add them to the compost. Even if your tampons end up in landfill, theyโve got a better chance of breaking down than a non-organic tampon.
Tom Organic is a great organic tampon brand, which is available in supermarkets โ easy to pick up in the shopping.
ORGANIC COTTON TAMPONS | |
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Made From | 100% organic cotton |
How Often to Change | Every 4 โ 6 hours (never exceed 8 hours) |
Price | On eBay from $5.50 AUD โ |

Donate Your Unused Period Products
Itโs hard to imagine but โperiod povertyโ is a real thing in Australia. Thousands of women and young girls across the country just do not have the money or access to the necessary products required for their monthly cycle.
Share the Dignity is an Australian womenโs charity helping to provide period supplies for women experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence or doing it tough.
Hereโs how you can help Share the Dignity:
- Donate your leftover (unused) period products to their twice-yearly collection drives.
- Donate extra items โ pads, tampons, period underwear, menstrual cups.
- Sponsor a bag of items that will go to someone in need.
- Make a financial donation.
- Register your workplace or business as a donation collection point.
Find all of the information you need over at Share the Dignity.
If donโt live in Australia, google โperiod donationsโ and see if you can find a local charity to donate your unused period products to.
