Environmenstual Week of Action - letter to manufacturers

The amazing women at WEN have provided a template you can send to any manufacturer of menstrual pads. Copy it, paste it, fill in the blanks and get some answers.
Disclosure of ingredients is not required, many brands contain bleach and other toxic chemicals -
You deserve to know, don’t you?

Dear ____________,
With growing consumer concern about the impact of single-use plastics I would like to ask what ___(insert name of the company)______ is doing to reduce the plastic used in your menstrual products?

Single-use plastic has detrimental environmental and health impacts. I am sure you are aware that women in the UK use an average of 11,000 disposable menstrual products in their lifetime, which generates more than 200,000 tonnes of waste per year. Theseproducts all contain plastic, which ends up in landfill taking centuries to decompose or can enter our waterways polluting our rivers, seas and beaches.

Companies such as Natracare have addressed this issue by offering plastic-free and organic cotton menstrual products, which demonstrates that the production of more environmentally friendly menstrual products is possible.

Recent independent product-testing results carried out by Women’s Voices for the Earth revealed undisclosed toxic chemicals in many brands of tampons. I would like to know what’s in my menstrual products. Disclosure of ingredients is standard for food and cosmetics so why not for menstrual products? What plans do you have regarding this?

Conventional bleaching of tampons and pads can produce dioxin, which is a known toxic chemical and endocrine disruptor. If you are currently using this bleaching method what steps are you taking to switch to a Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) bleaching process? The TCF process is safer for our bodies and for the environment.

I would like to be able to buy reusable menstrual products such as menstrual cups, washable pads and period underwear, as well as organic cotton and plastic-free disposable products, from your supermarket. What plans do you have to stock these products?


Please could you let me know how (insert name of company) is addressing these issues?



Dear ____________,

With growing consumer concern about the impact of single-use plastics I would like to ask what ___(insert name of the company)______ is doing to reduce the plastic used in your menstrual products?

Single-use plastic has detrimental environmental and health impacts. I am sure you are aware that women in the UK use an average of 11,000 disposable menstrual products in their lifetime, which generates more than 200,000 tonnes of waste per year. Theseproducts all contain plastic, which ends up in landfill taking centuries to decompose or can enter our waterways polluting our rivers, seas and beaches.

Companies such as Natracare have addressed this issue by offering plastic-free and organic cotton menstrual products, which demonstrates that the production of more environmentally friendly menstrual products is possible.

Recent independent product-testing results carried out by Women’s Voices for the Earth revealed undisclosed toxic chemicals in many brands of tampons. I would like to know what’s in my menstrual products. Disclosure of ingredients is standard for food and cosmetics so why not for menstrual products? What plans do you have regarding this?

Conventional bleaching of tampons and pads can produce dioxin, which is a known toxic chemical and endocrine disruptor. If you are currently using this bleaching method what steps are you taking to switch to a Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) bleaching process? The TCF process is safer for our bodies and for the environment.

I would like to be able to buy reusable menstrual products such as menstrual cups, washable pads and period underwear, as well as organic cotton and plastic-free disposable products, from your supermarket. What plans do you have to stock these products?


Please could you let me know how (insert name of company) is addressing these issues?


I look forward to your response.