For the menstruators among us, that time of the month can mean creating a lot of plastic waste. But it doesn’t need to be that way! There are now plenty of great eco-friendly, plastic-free period products on the market. What’s more, there are lots of different options, so you can find one that suits you.
Here at Beagle, we’ve put together a list of our favourite sustainable period-care brands and products, to help you on your quest for an eco-friendly period.
A quick note:
Every product we feature has been thoroughly researched and is often used by the team. Some of the brands we work with will provide a commission when our readers or users buy their products. Some of the links in this blog may be such affiliate links – but you won't pay more as a result!
We love Imse! This Swedish brand makes baby products as well as period products – all their products are from OEKO-TEX-certified, chemical-free fabric that’s gentle on delicate skin. Imse offers beautiful, high quality feminine care, while Vimse cares for baby.
When it comes to period products, Imse have you covered. They make period pants, reusable sanitary towels, reusable tampons and menstrual cups. You can even grab a wet bag to discreetly and hygienically carry your used products home with you for washing. When you do need to wash your period products, you can get organic soap and textile stain remover from Imse to get them nice and clean for your next use. That’s right – they really have thought of everything.
And an added bonus – Imse's products look lovely too. Choose from a range of colours and designs to personalise your period. Imse and Vimse are part of Bare Collective, where you can pick up a trial kit of Imse’s cloth sanitary towels for £17.95.
DAME have updated tampons and pads to make them more eco-friendly and are currently trialling their period pants – you can be one of the first to try them out! If you’re more comfortable with using applicator tampons, you’ll love DAME’s reusable applicators, which can be used together with their GOTS-certified organic cotton tampons.
Alongside their products, DAME are on a mission to break period stigma and empower young people. Their DAMEchangers youth development programme offers a week-long innovation camp for teenage girls to foster confidence and learn new skills from female leaders.
Pick up DAME’s reusable tampon applicator set, which comes with 6 tampons and a storage bag and tin, for £24.99.
Uni friends Tara and Susan set up Here We Flo to offer safe, organic tampons and help people “feel crazy confident and empowered about their messiest bodily moments”. They also sell sensitive bladder pads and condoms – and their website isn’t shy in talking about it. This woman-of-colour-led business wants to take away the embarrassment about things so many of us experience – and we’re here for it!
Here We Flo have a range of bamboo sanitary towels and panty liners and biodegradable organic cotton tampons that are designed to be kinder to your body and the planet. They also have some super cute period pants designed in collaboration with Netflix’s Sex Education, in bold, bright colours with a “fierce” icon on the bum.
The Flo x Sex Education period pants are £24.99.
&Sisters is a good option for anyone who’s new to the world of sustainable period products and unsure about reusables. They offer a range of disposable pads and tampons that are plastic-free – so they’ll break down naturally without causing plastic pollution!
And if you are wanting to try a reusable option, you can try out their nüdie period pants or nüdie menstrual cup. We love the cup’s Pebble pull end for comfort and easy removal.
The nüdie menstrual cup comes in at £23.75. When you think about what you’ll save on pads and tampons, that’s not too bad!
FLUX undies - now Fluxies - is brilliant for their range of sustainable leak-proof underwear. If you like the style of your existing pants but just want to add that extra period protection, then Fluxies might be the brand for you. They have a whole range of period pants in different styles – like boxers, thongs and even little lacy numbers. They’ll let you have an eco-friendly period and still feel like you.
Fluxies are also on a mission to help end period poverty and regularly donate period underwear to those in need. For example, they’ve donated to Mermaids, Freedom 4 Girls, and Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS). And they also let you donate a pair of undies through their give a pair scheme.
Fluxies’s period boxer shorts cost £28.00 and are designed to last for about 3 years.
Go with the flow
Want more eco-friendly product recommendations as you browse the web? The Beagle Button sits in the background as you surf and pops up with handy eco-alternatives to what you’re looking at, so you can shop as normal and get suggestions as you go.