Mooncup: Landfill is a bloody business!
by TreeHugger 
on 04.11.05
This one is for the ladies. And to all you men who are reading this please spread the word to your women folk. It might make that time of the month more bearable for you too!
The Mooncup is revolutionary for all of us who spend ridiculous amounts of time and money using the various products out there for absorbing our monthly flow. The case against sanitary towels and tampons is well documented, due to their huge contribution to landfill and the risks to our health: with chlorine bleaching, carcinogenic absorbency gels and potential Toxic Shock Syndrome.
Many people have discovered the excellent Natracare products, which are biodegradable tampons and towels that are made from organic cotton and are free of any chemicals or synthetics. However the Mooncup goes one step further by eliminating the need for any of this period paraphernalia.
Without going into too much detail, for the more squeamish among you, I will briefly explain what the Mooncup is and how it works. It is a silicon cup about five cms long which can be folded and inserted (sort of like a tampon). Inside it resumes its natural shape and ‘forms a seal with your vaginal walls allowing your menstrual fluid to pass into the Mooncup without leakage or odour.’ The cup can be emptied as often as necessary, though this is usually less frequent than tampons or towels need changing.
Apart from the fantastic convenience of only needing one cup rather than carrying around lots of bulky tampons and towels, the advantages of the Mooncup are numerous: Environmentally speaking it greatly reduces waste going into landfill and it doesn’t require the usage of the usual chemicals, bleaches and synthetics that go into producing all those super absorbent, whiter than white products we normally buy.
In terms of the direct health of our bodies, unlike tampons, the Mooncup will not absorb body fluids or deposit fibres. The smooth surface of the cup allows the vaginal walls to carry on with their ‘essential cleansing and protective functions’. The Mooncup is the first menstrual cup to be made from special medical grade non-allergic silicone. ‘Silicone is derived from silica which is found in sandstone and quartz, one of the most abundant resources on our planet.’
Some women could be put off by the idea of the more ‘hands on’ approach required by the Mooncup. Initially, compared with using tampons applicators, it can seem rather intimate. However the reality is not at all bad. The Mooncup is surprisingly clean and easy to use and will save you a bloody fortune!
To encourage you Treehuggers further:
All Mooncups’s by-products (leaflets and packaging) are made from organic and recycled products.
In December 2004 the Ethical Company Organisation (publishers of the Good Shopping Guide) certified Mooncup Ltd an Ethical Company. This recognises a commitment to a people and animal friendly approach, efforts with regard to environmental issues, responsible marketing and general caring nature.
Furthermore:
The Mooncup was voted Best New Product by a team of independent retailers at the Natural Trade Show in March 2003.
AND:
The Vegetarian Society approved the Mooncup in May 2004 and the Vegan Society members voted it the Best Environmentally Friendly Product in November 2004.
All quotes taken from www.mooncup.co.uk
Research and images by Petz Scholtus; written by Leonora Oppenheim, both experienced in the ways of the Mooncup!
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The Moon Cup is the UK version. In the US, we have the Diva Cup and the Keeper; both of which are available at keeper.com. As a decade-long user, I can tell you that there is nothing better for containing that time of the month in terms of comfort, reliability, price, and environmental impact.
The keeper is also available, as are a wide range of other reusable menstrual products, at GladRags. http://gladrags.com/index.html
Another non-disposable option is cloth pads which can just be washed and reused - you can easily make them at home or buy the pretty ones here:
www.lunapads.com
Also great for people with latex allergies!!!!
I can vouch for this... well... no, I can't, but I can relay a vouching!
An ex girlfriend of mine swears by her 'keeper'. She says it's the best thing she's discovered for that particular part of a lady's life.
what if you are active...
does the blood dry? or will it splash around...what if you stand upside down...
This seems like it would be a real mess to remove - a cup full of menses?
I can't imagine this being a neat process. I guess it's OK if you're sitting on the toilet.
Great idea, anyway. I used to use sea sponges in the 90s, what a mess!
The DivaCup is a Canadian product and is also made of medical grade silicone. The Keeper is rubber and is made in the USA. If you are concerned about latex allergies, you will want to get the DivaCup.
Here is their site: www.divacup.com
The DivaCup comes with a 1 year return policy. The Keeper has a 3 month return policy. Both of them accept the return with no questions asked so why not try one out? All you've got to lose is the garbage!
I was wondering for the women who use these products, are they a) comfortable and b) were they strange to start off with? just trying to get some info before i attempt to spread my influence.
from a boy,
is this different from a cervical cap?
tenunda, they are very different from a cervical cap. A cervical cap sits snuggly against the cervix, while these menstrual cups sit lower in the vagina. The menstrual cups are also larger. You wouldn't want to have vaginal intercourse while wearing a menstrual cup, that's for sure!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cervical_cap
Great to read your comments!
Here's my very personal one:I love my mooncup and so far it never let me down...even scubadiving at 45 meters underwater! For the even more active ones who are concerned about standing upside down... you shouldn't do that anyway when you're on your period- says my yoga teacher.
I have a diva cup and I will never switch to disposables again in my life. To answer some questions, no the blood does not splash around or dry and if you stand upside down you still don't even know it's there. There is definately a learning curve to it. You will be able to use it right away, but it may take some time to get really comfortable with the easiest and most comfortable way to do it...so yes it is a little weird to put in and take out initially. I also do not find it messy. You will occasionally get a little blood on your fingers, but I have never spilled any. I also had a hard time with wearing tampons because I could always feel them and they hurt me, the divacup has neither of these problems.
Overall, it is way more than worth it to try a divacup or keeper since you really can not feel it at all and will no longer be putting chemicals into or near your body or the earth.
I have had my DivaCup for about a year and I love it. I wear it during dance class and it never spills even while doing splits and stretches. You do get some blood on your hands, but I have never spilled any. You also don't have to change it as frequently as with tampons. I just insert in the morning and empty in the evening.
I have had a mooncup for 2 years now, it honest to god changed my life - it made a menstrual activist and environmentalist out of me, as well as making my period SO much better.
Although not as earth friendly as it's rubber rival the Keeper, or with the extra benefits of using a diaphragm as a menstrual cup, it is still far better than commercial tampons - no where near the amount of waste, no nasty chemicals, less packing, no using up huge amounts of energy just to make products work better and look whiter.
I would also like to say that other options are also great such as cloth pads or free-flow - not just layering methods but instinctive methods.
Menstrual cups are body-positive, woman-positive, cheap, convenient, green, and most importantly when it comes to sanitary products - SAFE!!
I also say Mooncup has great customer service, as has Divacup - Keeper however does not have the best customer service, with sales people refusing to assist in customers trying to find out if Keeper was vegan friendly or not, it was only discovered that the Keeper is vegan friendly when we went direct to the manufacturers themselves.
what about us ladies with extremely heavy flow?