Mooncup campaign offers a more eco-friendly alternative

Ecologist Reporter

Reusable sanitary product pioneer Mooncup have come up with a film that shines a light on the drama of disposable sanitary products, inviting us to leave the past behind and choose another way (models posed here are look-alikes)

The new ‘Own Your Period’ Campaign by Mooncup – the eco-friendly alternative to disposable sanitary-ware – aims to persuade women to make the switch

‘From day one we’ve had one aim: to make the experience of periods more positive, healthy and eco-friendly’ – Su Hardy, founder of Mooncup

‘Reusable sanitary product pioneer Mooncup have come up with a film that shines a light on the drama of disposable sanitary products, inviting us to leave the past behind and choose another way.

Since Mooncup started in 2002, it has been chipping away at the shame associated with periods and the fact that most of us reach out on ‘autopilot’ for disposables every month, without knowing there’s a better option.

From the mischief of the ‘Love your vagina’ campaign in 2010 to the Tampon vs Mooncup rap battle, Mooncup has played its part in changing the conversation around periods.

But in an advertising landscape in which ‘body confidence’ is used to sell shower creams, and where chemical-laden disposable sanitary products are marketed through feminism-lite, Mooncup decided to try a different tack – a more ‘throwaway’ laugh to call attention to a seriously liberating possibility.

‘Own your period’ celebrates independence and self-sufficiency. As one Mooncup lasts for years, those who choose Mooncup are freed from monthly trips to the feminine hygiene aisle and their long-term relationship with the ‘san pro’ multinationals’.

Mooncup founder Su Hardy says: “From day one we’ve had one aim: to make the experience of periods more positive, healthy and eco-friendly.

But even as we become more conscientious in many of our choices, typically, we tend to continue using the disposables we were introduced to as teenagers which are now clogging up landfills and polluting beaches, not to mention absorbing more than we need them to and leaving toxins behind.

We believe Mooncup users make proactive choices: we want to encourage thousands more to ‘own their period.”

It is clear that many of us are actively engaged in making positive lifestyle changes, with 70% of us reporting making efforts to reduce the amount of household waste we create.

However only 1 in 10 of us have made the switch from disposable to reusable menstrual products, despite an individual being likely to use 11,000 throw-away sanitary items over their lifetime. Using the Mooncup is a simple way to dramatically reduce the waste we produce.

The film launched this month and links up nicely with Mooncup’s new look website where you can find out more, and answer any questions you have about using the Mooncup.