Why cups?
One in five pieces of plastic on a UK beach is a tampon. In the UK we flush 700,00 panty liners, 2.5 million tampons and 1.4 million pads EVERY SINGLE DAY…. That’s 1.68 billion items every year…just in the UK.
And it’s not just the applicators – most tampons contain plastic (We didn’t know this either until we started doing some research). And the average sanitary pad is made from 90% plastic – the equivalent of about three single-use carrier bags.
Providing plastic-free period products to combat period poverty seems like a golden opportunity to not only lift girls out of embarrassment and shame, but also investing in their future. Ufulu believes that we should all make this a priority.
This photo is of a typical shop in Malawi – most of them sell a bit of everything but don’t have much choice or variety. Pads are usually available in a shop like this, but only big bulky varieties and Tampons are only available in the city. Now imagine you are a teenage girl, who has just started her period – you would probably be too shy and embarrassed to come in to a shop like and purchase what you needed.
But the biggest problem facing most females in Malawi is that they just do not have the money to afford sanitary products. A pack of 10 pads costs the equivalent of a days salary……. and 80% of the females we have given cups to are never able to afford any type of sanitary product.
This is why we give cups for free……because PERIODS ARE NOT A CHOICE