Would you try tampons with a reusable applicator?

Last year we reported on how appallingly bad for the environment it is to be flushing our tampons and their applicators down the loo. Guilty? Thought so. Not only is there a very real risk of blockage (Ewww!) thanks to the 40 tonnes of sanitary products that are wrongly flushed down the pan every week, but this also has a knock on effect for our water systems. The message was simple, don’t throw your tampons and their applicators down the loo.

But now a forward thinking company has come up with another solution…reusable tampon applicators. Thinx, the people behind the period pants, have recently unveiled plans to release a reusable tampon applicator called RETA.

It works in the same way as an ordinary plastic tampon applicator, but unlike the regular disposable ones, Thinx’s applicator is made from medical grade silicone and can be easily stored in your bag.

As Thinx explains on their website, 7,000 million plastic tampon applicators end up in landfills every single year – which is but a fraction of the 20,000 million menstrual products that are found in landfill sites as well.

For those of you who are currently wrinkling their noses at the thought of re-using a tampon applicator, they’re pretty darned simple to clean too. It’s a little like cleaning a menstrual cup, as it is made from the exact same material. All you need to do is wash it off and slip it back into your bag to use later.

The applicators will go on sale in March, and though it won’t solve the problem of flushing the other part of the tampon down the dunny, Thinx are also planning on selling 100% organic cotton tampons to accompany their reusable applicators. A move that will likely make them one of the most environmentally friendly options out there.

Thinx CEO Miki Agrawal says that she created the product in hope of tackling the world’s massive waste problem. “The next generation is f-ed if we don’t come up with sustainable innovations,” she told Bustle. “There will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050 if we don’t change direction fast now!”

So if you’re not yet down with the menstrual cup and period pants just aren’t your bag, this could be a step in the right direction to having a non-world destroying period. Props to Thinx for making menstruation that little bit more modern.

If you’re interested in trying a RETA, you can put your name down on the waiting list on their website.

Would you try a tampon with a reusable applicator? Let us know @YahooStyleUK

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