Why go plastic free?

Plastic Free

Did you know? Conventional sanitary pads are roughly 90% plastic!

Natracare is different. Our products are made from renewable, biodegradable and compostable materials including organic cotton, bioplastics (made from plant starches) and wood pulp. And by choosing plastic-free sanitary products, you’ll have two positive impacts on the environment:

1. Reducing plastic production

The extraction, production and manufacture of plastics releases large amounts of toxic pollution into the environment. Ozone depleting gases such as Nitrogen oxide, Sulphur dioxide and Carbon dioxide contribute to global warming, acidification of trees and are human toxins affecting our health. All Natracare products are sustainably sourced and processed in a gentle way which does not release toxic chemicals into the environment.

2. Reducing plastic waste

Every year, over 45 billion feminine hygiene products are disposed of somewhere.

Sanitary waste is either incinerated, releasing harmful gasses and toxic waste, or sent to landfill. The plastics used in sanitary pads, liners and tampon applicators do not biodegrade at all, and will remain in the environment unchanged for hundreds of years. Waste will often be picked up by birds, or blown across land and into streams, ending up in the oceans. Marine wildlife is at serious risk from plastic pollution, as animals eat the plastic thinking it is food. What’s more, plankton eat microscopic fragments of plastic and transfer it all the way back up the food chain – even on to your plate.

Natracare products are biodegradable – and can even be composted!

It’s best to dispose of your Natracare products in a domestic compost bin, as it minimises the carbon emissions as the product breaks down. If you send them to landfill, the conditions of the site will determine how optimally they biodegrade – the right temperature, soil conditions and bacteria. This also applies to any waste food sent to landfill, so be carbon smart and compost!

Natracare championed the issue of fibre loss back in the 1990’s as a result of concerns raised both by users of tampons and nurses. Nurses conducting smear tests reported having to remove shed tampon fibres from around the cervix before being able to obtain a clear smear sample.

Manufacturers, who at first denied the fibre loss issue, quickly placed a synthetic overwrap material around their tampons to prevent the inner absorbent core of fibres falling away. The choice of material, a plastic called polypropylene, is heated to melt the overwrap and form a seal over the tampon core. This reduced some of the fibre loss, but did not eradicate it. On top of this, polypropylene is made from crude oil and does not biodegrade, ultimately damaging the environment.