Plastic Free. Period was launched by Frome Town Council and Frome Medical Practice in 2022. The project aims to promote sustainable, reusable and plastic free menstrual products that will help save money as well as reducing waste and protecting the environment.
Through school visits and pop-up events, Plastic Free. Period is spreading the word about reuseable period products and their many benefits while reducing period poverty, period anxiety and embarrassment about discussing periods.
Thank you to the amazing Liv Torc, spoken word poet, artist and producer, for this poem ‘May the Pants Be With You’, written specially for the Plastic Free. Period campaign and International Women’s Day 2024.
To support young people in exploring their options, Frome Town Council and Frome Medical Practice launched a crowdfunding campaign to give a free period pack to every Year 8 and 9 student in Frome that needs one. Each pack costs £15 and contains three pairs of period pants, a washable pad, a waterproof bag and a booklet. If you would like to donate the cost of a period pack, or what you can afford, please donate to the Plastic Free. Period campaign here. Every donation will help young people to make the switch to plastic-free period products, right from the start.
Why switch to plastic free?
- Research suggests that people who use disposable menstrual products will use more than 11,000 items in their lifetime. Many mainstream disposable menstrual pads are made from up to 90% plastic. Considering the adhesives and packaging, a single pad can contain the equivalent amount of plastic found in around four plastic carrier bags
- Women’s Environmental Network estimates that disposal of single use menstrual products – tampons, pads and applicators generates around 200,000 tonnes of waste per year in the UK. This could mean 39 tonnes of menstrual products produced by Frome (assuming that the town uses menstrual products at the same rate as the average across the UK)
- A single year of menstruation for an average person using mainstream disposable products is estimated to produce around 5.3kg of CO2e. This could amount to around 72 tonnes of CO2e every year across Frome
- Disposable period products can cost around £10 per period on average – approximately £130 a year and almost £5,000 over a lifetime
- The average person who menstruates throws away up to 200kg of menstrual products in their lifetime
- Modern reusable menstrual products such as menstrual cups, reusable pads and period pants can be comfortable, convenient and cost-effective alternatives to disposable products. They can dramatically reduce waste and, for many people, save hundreds of pounds over their lifetime
Where to buy plastic free period products
Local shops selling plastic free (reusable and disposable) menstrual products. Please let us know if you find any more!
Selected shops are also providing discount codes for plastic free menstrual products:
Oakville (3 Badcox, BA11 3BQ) – menstrual cups and Natracare plastic free disposable products – 10% discount when you quote ‘Plastic Free. Period’ instore
Denude (4 Bath Street, BA11 1DH) – menstrual cups
Frome Wholefoods (8 Cheap Street, BA11 1BN) – Natracare plastic free disposable products
Shop Next Door (17 Stony Street, BA11 1BY) – Natracare plastic free disposable products, menstrual cups and period pants
Superdrug (10 Market Place, BA11 1AB) – menstrual cups, period pants, organic disposable products
Boots (10-11 Market Place, BA11 1AB) – menstrual cups, period pants, organic disposable products
Holland & Barrett (8 Westway, Frome BA11 1BS) – menstrual cups, organic disposable products
Marks & Spencer (14-15 Kingsway, Frome BA11 1BT) – period pants
You can also buy online directly from the growing number of brands producing plastic free period products. Here are just a few to get you started:
Wuka – period pants
Revol Undies – period pants – 15% off with code FROME15
Cheeky – period pants and washable pads
EcoFemme – washable pads
AllMatters (formerly Organi Cup) – menstrual cup
Mooncup – menstrual cup
Fluxies – period pants
The Period Lady – menstrual products, period pants and more – 15% off non-sale items with code Frome15
Plastic Free. Period – Schools
If you’d like a Plastic Free. Period educational session in your school, please contact our project officer Emma Parker. You can also download this information sheet, which includes links to teaching resources and where you can buy plastic free products:
Plastic Free. Period – FAQs
If you have any questions you’d like answered before making the switch, take a look at our FAQs below.
Alternatively, you can find more facts from the Women’s Environmental Network or download their factsheet below:
