Canada’s opportunity to lead on sustainable menstrual equity

Every year, more than 20 billion plastic pads, tampons, and applicators enter landfills and waterways in North America. Many of these products take more than 300 years to biodegrade. It's not hard to see why. Walk the period-care aisle at your local pharmacy and your options are likely stereotypical plastic packaging, conventional plastic-based products, and antiquated messaging that is out of sync with today’s culture and sustainability priorities. Walk into a public bathroom and most of the dispensers are empty, broken, or require payment. A majority of bathrooms still do not stock menstrual products of any variety. It’s 2023, and we’re still seeing statistics that one in four Canadians have gone through a period without having products available to them, and one in three cannot afford menstrual products. Others have indicated that they require more menstrual hygiene education, or they lack access to clean toilets, handwashing facilities, or easily accessible waste management. We live in an era of period poverty. Thankfully, things are starting to change, but we have a long way to go. The federal government is now taking critical first steps in recognizing the importance of finding long term solutions to period poverty. Just a few weeks ago, Food Banks Canada was selected to run a national pilot program addressing barriers related to affordability and stigma that many Canadians face when accessing menstrual products. Effective Dec. 15, federally regulated organizations will be required to provide free pads and tampons to their workers. Just like toilet paper. Many organizations are now looking for solutions to comply with these new regulations. So where do we fit in? The Sustainable Menstrual Equity Coalition in Canada—a collective of women-led Canadian sustainable menstrual care companies—is working to create a sustainable approach to achieving menstrual equity. Our work is driven by decades of experience, and a deep personal passion for menstrual health and equity. Our vision includes offering a wide variety of both sustainable single-use and reusable product options, while being inclusive of accessibility options and personal product choice. We have learned through our experience that achieving menstrual equity is going to take more than just placing an endless supply of traditional plastic-based mainstream disposable products—that have not innovated in more than 30 years—in bathrooms. We also know that we need to find more ways to make products more widely accessible. Achieving true menstrual equity that takes a long-term approach means universal access to eco-friendly products of choice. Offering diverse product and access solutions is the most effective way to counter period poverty. Don’t get us wrong, disposable products serve a critical need. But let’s make sure that the products we are empowering Canadians with are as sustainable as possible, and that we provide choice, including providing both reusable and disposable options. Replacing conventional options with sustainable disposable options has significant environmental benefits: they are biodegradable and compostable. We have to take steps to reduce and eliminate waste at an organizational and policy level in order to have a larger impact on the climate goals we need to reach. Reusable products reduce plastic waste, and do not "run out." This is a huge benefit, especially for rural and remote communities in Canada and Indigenous reserves. The good news is that ending period poverty in this generation is 100 per cent achievable. With the government’s leadership and financial commitment, and our own homegrown entrepreneurial ingenuity, we already have what we need—right here, right now. By including a mandated minimum allocation for the procurement of sustainable, eco-friendly disposable and reusable menstrual products from Canadian businesses in programs and funding opportunities, the federal government has a chance to make a difference in both menstrual equity and sustainability in addition to supporting Canadian based businesses, and moving FemTech innovation forward. Let’s make sure the future of menstrual health includes Canadian-made eco-friendly pads and tampons as well as reusable cups, cloth pads, and period underwear. Let’s work together to ensure that every person in Canada who menstruates has access to the necessary resources and support, empowering them to live their lives to the fullest without fear or shame. Linda Biggs is co-founder and co-CEO of joni; Leisa Hirtz is CEO of Women's Global Health Innovations; and Madeleine Shaw is co-founder and director of partnership and impact for Aisle. Sustainable Menstrual Equity Coalition in Canada is a national private coalition of women-led companies in Canada that specialize in sustainable menstrual care products, solutions, and education. SMEC members include Canadian-led women SMEs such as joni, Women's Global Health Innovations (Bfree cup), and Aisle. The Hill Times