Why Freda is ditching plastic applicator tampons
As the Founder and Owner of Freda I’ve been grappling with the sort of ethical dilemma that many eco-friendly start-ups face at some point for a while now; the question of meeting our consumers’ preference while continuing to push them towards even better environmental solutions by providing more sustainable choices. In Freda’s case, the thorn in our side are our plastic tampon applicators which are made from plant-based plastics. Yes, bioplastics are better than fossil-fuel-based plastics and bio-based materials such as wood fibre or sugarcane are renewable resources when responsibly managed and broken down. They also of course score highly on the customer “feel-good” barometer- as a consumer it feels good to know you’re buying products that aren’t harming the planet. However, there are still downfalls to bioplastic that need to be considered, one of those things being that many plant-based packaging labelled compostable or biodegradable is often not accepted by local councils in recycling bins and thus end up in the same ‘bin’ as everything else headed for landfill.
In terms of tampon applicators there is a second point to consider. Applicators were invented by Procter & Gamble - why? Well, presumably because they know that women would prefer a disposable 'artificial finger' to use rather than their own. The legacy of women’s bodies being sites of shame, something to hide and even in the worst-case scenario something we consider ‘gross’ big companies like P&G were able to capitalise on this to the fullest extent. This is also a very US / UK centric view, whereas in many other countries in Europe and elsewhere non- applicator tampons are considered the norm. It can even be difficult to find applicator tampons in certain countries!
Unlike huge international corporations like P&G we are a small start-up and so finding the most sustainable solution can feel like going down the rabbit hole - it feels like a risk but ultimately our decisions as product providers with a loyal consumer base must be based on our dedication to challenging norms and making period care more accessible, affordable, and sustainable for all. We recognise the importance of taking on this responsibility - we do not think the work should be on you as the consumer, you should be able to buy products and trust that brands do the best to make you an eco-friendly buyer. And so that’s what we’ve done.
Therefore, while we will continue to work with our manufacturers towards finding better, eco-friendly solutions for our customers who prefer applicators (we’re currently exploring reusable applicators), Freda would still like to encourage you to think about using your own reusable applicator (finger) and giving our non-applicator tampons a go.
Thank you for trusting us!