Veganuary - Is Your Period Vegan?
Veganuary – Is your period vegan?
Many of us associate Veganuary with introducing a more natural and plant-based diet into our lifestyle and often forget to consider going plant based in other aspects of our life such as the sanitary products that we use. Many items which we purchase throughout the year may be natural and organic, but an important question today is, are they vegan?
Why are conventional products not vegan?
One main reason that conventional sanitary brands are not vegan is due to their use of animal testing. Animal rights organisation PETA state that many of these brands “test products on animals for cytotoxicity, skin sensitisation and irritation, and acute systemic toxicity. These are pretty hideous tests, including vaginal irritation tests on rabbits.” Peta2.com, 2016 https://www.peta2.com/vegan-life/cruelty-free-tampons-pads/
Secondly, many conventional sanitary products also contain masses of unnecessary plastics and chemicals which prevent the product from breaking down naturally. The average sanitary pad may contain 90% of plastic, which is the equivalent to 4 plastic bags and can take up to 500 years to break down. Ultimately having a negative impact on the wildlife and the environment surrounding it. Tampons can also contain up to 6% plastic.
How do I know my products are vegan?
To be sure that a product is vegan look out for a certification such as VEGAN OK or The Vegan Society. This means that the products have been through a rigorous testing process to ensure that not only the components are vegan, but the manufacturer has taken steps to ensure the full process meets the vegan criteria of the certification body.
At Organ(y)c all of our products are certified by VEGAN OK which is the first, and only, certification body for ethical vegan products created in Italy. VEGAN OK is an ethical standard with over 100 companies, services and tens of thousands of certified products around the world, their mission is to respect life in all its forms. We believe in ensuring all of our products are created from sustainable raw materials which are naturally suitable for the use of vegans.
Our Vegan OK logo also confirms our products are cruelty free.
How to have a sustainable Vegan period?
Swap your sanitary products to those which are certified Vegan by an independent certification body.
Say goodbye to conventional sanitary pads, liners and tampons by switching your sanitary products to those which are made from 100% certified organic cotton. This natural fibre is ultra-soft and breathable for your period but can also biodegrade after use.
Ditch the plastic! Instead go for products which have plant based protective back sheets, wings and wrappers. Organ(y)c only use natural materials such as sugar cane to create the compact applicators, and FSC cardboard for the cardboard applicators. Meaning that the packaging is biodegradable, compostable and recyclable.
Finally, please don’t flush any sanitary products down the toilet. Even though organic cotton tampons, sanitary pads and panty liners can biodegrade at a much faster rate than conventional ones, its best to compost your pads or tampons so that they do not interfere with the natural habitat.