It's Day 4 of Goodful's 7-Day Guide to Creating Less Waste

Talking...Bathroom Things

According to Harvard Business School, 20-billion tampons, applicators, and pads are dumped into North American landfills every single year, so if you’re a person who gets their period, chances are you’ve contributed. The same goes for toilet paper — another thing that’s wasteful, yet necessary, unless you have a useable and effective alternative.

Here are some little things you can do to make your human habits a little more sustainable, without sacrificing comfort or hygiene:

1. Consider installing a bidet. While a lot of countries have been onboard the bidet train forever, the US is far behind. If you’re not familiar with the bidet, it’s basically something that cleans your butt using water. There a ton of different types, including this one a coworker swears by. Since bidets mean using less toilet paper, it would be possible to save around 15-million trees each year if Americans made the switch.

2. Buy recycled toilet paper that’s packaged in paper, not plastic. It’s a little thing, but since using the toilet is generally a non-negotiable, it’s nice to make the best choice for the planet.

3. If you get your period, try a silicone menstrual cup as a replacement for tampons. People SWEAR by these cups. They’re a good way to cut down on waste and save money, while being just as comfortable as your problematic fave, tampons.

4. If you want to stick with tampons, try using one without an applicator. If you've always used applicator tampons this may take a little getting used to, but making this swap is a simple way to really cut down on the waste your period creates.

5. Swap reusable sanitary pads for reusable ones you can wash after each wear. You can find reusable pads on Amazon or you can try making your own. This YouTube tutorial shows how to make pads without a sewing machine, using a dish cloth or old t-shirt.

6. Try period-proof underwear if that seems like the most comfortable option for you. There are a number of brands making period underwear now, including Thinx and Dear Kate. These also make a great second barrier for people who worry about overflow from their cup or tampon.

OK, phew, now we’ve got all the period and poop-related things out of the way, tomorrow we can chat about the way we clean our homes. If you want to read more before Good Content before then though, here are some posts you might be in the mood for after today’s newsletter:

This Highly Rated Menstrual Cup Is Good For The Planet And Your Wallet

This Bidet Has Made My Butt Cleaner Than Ever

What Is "The Family Cloth" And Why Do People Use It? An Explainer

And here are some products you might be keen to check out:

This menstrual cup from Amazon for $13.95.

This bidet toilet attachment (that one of our editors swears by!) from Amazon for $34.50.

And this set of five reusable and washable menstrual pads from Amazon for $18.99.

Do you have another life-changing bathroom habit that saves you waste? If so, I reallllly want to know about it, so please tag me (@gyanyankovich) and Goodful (@goodful) on Instagram. I’d love to hear about the habits and swaps that are making a difference in your day-to-day.

Do you know someone who would love the Goodful newsletter?

Tell them to sign up here!

View our privacy notice and cookie policy.

BuzzFeed, Inc.
111 E. 18th St.
New York, NY 10003

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a small share of sales from the links in this email.

Unsubscribe