6 picks · vetted plastic-free
The best plastic-free period products
Cups, discs, cloth pads and period underwear: less plastic against your body, and years of supplies replaced by one purchase.
Conventional pads are up to 90% plastic, and most tampons include plastic in the applicator, the string or the absorbent core. That is single-use plastic in the most intimate contact possible, over roughly 40 years of cycles per person.
Reusables have quietly become excellent. A medical-grade silicone cup or disc lasts up to ten years, and cloth pads and period underwear cover lighter days and backup, in organic cotton instead of polypropylene.
MeLuna Period Care
MeLuna Menstrual Cup (Soft)
Silicone
Shop$25–$35
Saalt Period Care
Saalt Cup
Silicone
Shop$32
Nixit Period Care
Nixit Menstrual Disc
Silicone
Shop$40
Pads, liners and backup
Organic cotton cloth pads and absorbent underwear handle light days, sleep and cup backup without any plastic layer against skin.
Common questions
- Are menstrual cups safe?
- Cups are made from medical-grade silicone, the same class of material as implants and bakeware, and have decades of use behind them. Follow the cleaning routine, sterilize between cycles, and a single cup lasts up to ten years.
- What is the difference between a cup and a disc?
- A cup sits lower and seals against the vaginal walls; a disc sits higher and rests behind the pubic bone, so many people find discs less noticeable and usable during sex. It is worth reading both product pages: fit preference is personal.
- How much plastic do disposables actually contain?
- Studies of conventional pads put their plastic content as high as 90% by weight: the top sheet, the absorbent gel, the backing and the wings are all polymer. Over a lifetime that is thousands of single-use plastic items replaced by a handful of reusables.
- Is period underwear reliable on its own?
- For light and moderate days, yes: the listed pair absorbs several tampons' worth. Heavy days usually pair underwear with a cup or disc, which is the combination most people settle into.
Sources
More best-of picks: plastic-free shampoo · plastic-free baby products