“How shaming women for periods leads to plastic pollution” — DW Planet, 2021, 10:51 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUM48xB3MQQ

The environmentally friendly menstrual cup has been around for over 100 years, so why isn’t it used more widely? This video traces the ecological impacts of modern menstrual hygiene to social forces including capitalism and patriarchy. We also learn about period poverty, myths surrounding menstruation, and the sanitized images used to depict periods in our society. Ultimately, the stigmatization of periods often leads to limited choices and unequal access to menstruation products. It also creates a significant amount of plastic waste.

So why are reusable cups more popular than single-use methods, and what does gender inequality factor into this? How can we destigmatize menstruation?

From the video’s description: Menstrual products tell the story of the modern world – from capitalism and patriarchy to culture and environmental pollution. Here’s why we should be talking about them more.