Lil-lets, Superdrug, and Morrisons have responded to the campaign by developing their own eco-friendly ranges
The Campaign
Ella Daish is an environmental activist, who launched the #EndPeriodPlastic campaign after the shocking realization that conventional menstrual products contain up to 90% plastic and take over 500 years to break down.
The campaign calls on manufacturers and supermarkets to bring about change by eliminating plastic from their period products, including tampons, plastic applicators, pads, wrappers, and packaging. The plastic pollution conversation is heavily dominated by items like bags, bottles, and straws, meaning period products rarely get spoken about, yet they are the fifth most common item found on Europe’s beaches. Their plastic content is unnecessary and the environmental impacts avoidable.
To date the campaign has gathered over 215,000 signatures for its petition.
The Change
The campaign has led to significant changes in the period industry, with manufacturers and retailers openly engaging and taking on board the steps the campaign is calling on them to make. It has resulted in Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Superdrug removing their plastic tampon applicators, a move collectively saving over 17 tonnes of plastic annually.
Prior to the petition there was limited choice available of eco-friendly period products in supermarkets, now thanks in part to the campaign, most stock them, as well as reusables like menstrual cups. Lil-lets, Superdrug, and Morrisons have responded to the campaign by developing their own eco-friendly ranges.
The Future
Ella continues to meet with supermarkets and manufacturers to discuss how they can make a difference.
Ella has also called for governments to use all of their period poverty funding, which makes menstrual products freely available at schools and colleges on eco-friendly products. Welsh local authorities have responded positively and in September 2019 Caerphilly Council was the first to commit to spending all their funding on eco-friendly products. There are more local authorities planning to follow in their footsteps.
Advice
Ella encourages anyone to stand up and take action for a cause or issue they are passionate about, because we can all make a difference.
