Sustainable menstruation refers to the use of environmentally-friendly and responsible menstrual products.
[1] It is estimated that the average woman will bleed for an average of 40 years which can amount to upwards of 200 kg of menstrual product waste a year.
To combat this environmental challenge, advocates of sustainable menstruation promote the use of reusable products such as cloth menstrual pads, menstrual cups and period underwear, and also sustainably-produced biodegradable disposable products.
[2] Such practices reduce the waste created by disposable products (tampons and pads) made of non-biodegradable materials.
[3][4] There is some concern that by focusing on menstruation as a focus in discussions in waste, it further stigmatizes menstruation by blaming women for problems they didn't create.