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Project period
Project Period aims to make 果冻影院 the first university to offer free sustainable period products to anyone who needs it.
15 June 2022
Project period听began when the Student Union鈥檚 Women's Officer began stocking free sanitary towels and tampons across all Students Union female toilets and at their main office for collection.听Meanwhile, 果冻影院's Hockey Society ran a campaign to promote menstrual cups in a bid to reduce single-use plastics across campus.
To aid these initiatives, Sustainable 果冻影院 started the conversation at 果冻影院鈥檚 Professional Awards. We asked staff and students to help us听break the taboo of听periods and听come up with a mechanism that can help our community move towards sustainable period products.
Aims of Project Period
- Raise awareness of the pros and cons of different disposable and reusable menstrual products in relation to health and the environment. This will allow individuals to make informed choices of which period products to use and help break the taboo around periods.听听听
- Work out a mechanism that allows 果冻影院 to provide sustainable period products to staff and students who need them, and to reduce period poverty.听听
- 果冻影院 is a bold, forward-thinking university. We want to use 果冻影院鈥檚 research and power as a global university to support change in the UK and other countries surrounding period poverty and plastic-free periods.听
What is Period Poverty?
- On average a person who menstruates spends 拢4,500 on period products over a lifetime.
- Products are classed as a 鈥榣uxury, non-essential item鈥� in the UK and are taxed at 5%.听听
- More than 25% of menstruating people haven鈥檛 been able to afford period products at one time in their life.
- 140,000 children in the UK have missed school because of their period.听
Plastic-free periods
- 4.3 billion disposable menstrual products are used in the UK every year.
- 2 billion menstrual products are听flushed down Britain鈥檚 toilets, contaminating our beaches.
- A 鈥榗onventional鈥� menstrual pad is 90% plastic and contains around the same amount of plastic as four carrier bags.
- Depending on where menstrual pads end听up, they听could have a longer听lifespan听than听the person who uses them!听
Inclusive periods
- Many people who don鈥檛 identify as women 鈥� such as trans men, agender and/or non-binary people menstruate and so we want to offer sustainable period products听in gender-neutral toilets.
- People with disabilities such as autism may experience additional sensory issues around menstruation, such as sensitivity to the texture and material of different period products.
- Whilst carers are often not supported to manage another person鈥檚 period. We want to break the taboo around periods, discuss these issues and help make sustainable periods more inclusive.
Plastic-free period products听
- Menstrual cups
Menstrual cups have grown in popularity in recent years, so luckily for us, there are lots of cups available in different shapes and sizes. Menstrual cups are reusable, so by using them you are reducing single-use plastic and preventing tampons and pads from ending up on our beaches.
- Cups can save you money too, costing between 拢20 鈥� 30 and are said to last around 10 years.
- Cups are typically made of medical grade silicone, free from chemicals, harmful gels, additives, toxins, pesticides, bleaches or perfumes.
- They also don鈥檛 need to be emptied very often, on average between 8-12 hours, so great for those of us with busy schedules.
- And you can use them during sports (including swimming and running)!
- One additional thing to note, is that if you have a coil, it is not advised to use a cup, as it can pull it out, and we鈥檝e had friends where this has听actually happened!
- And if for personal or religious reasons, if you want to keep the hymen intact, it is best not to use a menstrual cup.听听
To find out which cup could be suitable for you, and a cross-comparison between cups, you can visit
- Reusable period underwear
- Reusable pants are great if you want to help reduce the waste from disposable tampons and pads but don鈥檛 want to insert anything into your vagina.
- There are different types of underwear for different needs and flow types.听
- There are a few products on the market ranging between 拢18 鈥� 30.听听听
- You can buy them at the following places
- You can find WUKA pants on-line. (~拢24).听听
- FLUX UNDIES can听be found at Planet Organic and Holland & Barrett (~拢29.95).听听
- THINX can听be purchased at asos.com and Selfridges. (~拢20-拢28).听听
- ModiBodi听pants can be bought on-line. Prices vary.听Modibodi currently offer a 10% student discount at Modibodi with Student Beans and a听30-day听trial.听
- Reusable Pads
- Cloth pads are a replacement for disposable pads.
- They cost more upfront but can save you a lot of money in the long run.听
- Typically听people prefer to have 6-8 reusable pads as a minimum and wash them daily, you may need more if you prefer to wash them together at the end of the period.
- Reusable pads are soft (usually cotton), making them breathable and cool, and there are a variety of different pads depending on flow.听
- Biodegradable Products
- Biodegradable products, whilst still听single-use听are better than non-biodegradable tampons and pads because they require less carbon in the production process and harmful gases are not released by burning plastic.
- They are also better for health.
- Costs vary depending on the product.听
For discount codes visit听.听听听
Impact
- A project period working group was established with both students and staff from 果冻影院 and Students' Union.听
- A successful pilot was run for a year between Dec 2021 - 2022.
- Colleagues in Campus Experience and Infrastructure will support听the ongoing purchase of period products. This will be charged via Sodexo, who听will support the refilling of the dispensers.听
- The 果冻影院 Students Union will听stock sustainable period products in the SU Outlets on campus for sale at cost (no retail mark)听to make them affordable to all.听听
- Engagement events have helped us to speak to staff and students about the impact that period pollution and period poverty have on the environment and human health.听
- The team listened to feedback on how periods impact work and studying at 果冻影院.
- We are investigating the opportunities for a 果冻影院 voucher scheme to offer people the opportunity to try a re-usable product such as a menstrual cup, reusable pads or pants.听
- Our overall ambition is that 果冻影院 will fund the provision of period products across the campus.听听
The Pilot听
- The working group investigated different types of period products that were available on the market and made plans for the implementation of a pilot providing free period products on campus.听
- The pandemic put the project on hold in 2020, but then in 2021 with the enthusiasm of SU Sabbatical Women鈥檚 Officer听and with support from colleagues in Estates and Sodexo, funding for a pilot was secured.听听
- Free Period Products were installed until December 2022 in:听
- DMS Watson - Level 2 Female washroom & Level 4 Female washroom;
- IOE 鈥� 20 Bedford way 鈥� Library level 3 鈥� female washroom;
- 1 to 19 Torrington Place 鈥� Ground floor 鈥� Washroom corridor gender neutral;
- SSEES Building 鈥� Library - Basement level 鈥� female washroom;
- Bidborough House 鈥� Ground floor toilets (Refilling on this dispenser is currently paused);
- Student Centre听鈥� Ground floor and 3rd-floor corridor;
- Wilkins 鈥� Main library 鈥� Level Female washroom.
Get involved听
Project Period is an inclusive campaign, members include:
- 果冻影院鈥檚 Access听& Inclusion Manager;
- Sustainable 果冻影院;
- 果冻影院U鈥檚 Head of Operations听and Equity听Officer.
Members听are of all genders and ages, and health and cultural beliefs have been considered. For this reason, no one product will be advised, but instead, information will help the user choose the best product for themselves.听听
Please get in touch, if you have any questions by emailing听sustainableucl@ucl.ac.uk.听
If you would like to support the expansion of plastic-free period products to your department, please email听Andy.Norton@sodexo.com.
