Plastic free periods by Sayana Yoga

Plastic waste is one of the greatest contributors to environmental degradation and climate change.  Menstrual products are a leading creator of plastic waste. Most menstrual products are disposable. Disposable menstrual products contain a large amount of plastics.  This includes packaging, the leak proof backing on pads, the absorbent material on pads and tampons, and tampon strings. Menstrual products are an essential item that women on a regular basis.  

One of the easiest ways to manage plastic waste created my menstrual products is by replacing disposable products with reusable products. This project teaches women how to make low cost, effective and durable reusable cloth pads.

This could positively change lives by reducing period poverty and increasing school and work attendance by giving access to period products. When women replace disposable plastic laden products with reusable products the amount of plastic waste going into landfills is significantly reduced.

There is too much plastic waste in the Caribbean. "Of the top thirty global polluters per capita, ten are from the Caribbean." St. Lucia produces the 6th largest amount of plastic waste per capita in the Caribbean and generates more than four times the amount of plastic waste per person as China. 

Disposable period products are a significant contributor to plastic waste. In many places plastic period products are more widespread as marine litter than single use cups and straws. 

The St Lucia Bureau of Statistics estimated a total of 48,718 aged 10-49 in St Lucia in 2018.  Most women menstruate for an average of 40 years so we can use this population as a conservative estimate of the menstruating population in St Lucia.  This means that an estimated 12.5 million plastic laden period products go into St Lucia's landfills every year. In addition to their packaging and the plastic used to dispose  of them.

Replacing disposable period products with reusable cloth pads will significantly reduce plastic waste in St Lucia. Most menstruators in St Lucia are unaware of plastic free alternatives because they are not readily available here and there is cultural stigma attached to menstruation and menstrual hygiene products.

When I was a little girl back in the 80s on my favorite teachers was fired because she was unmarried and pregnant. That is when I knew life was unfair for women. Growing up in the Caribbean gave me a deep understanding of what it life is like for women and a unique perspective on the challenges we face.  As a leader in the community I am uniquely placed to have a positive impact on my community. I also work with partners such as Herstoire and health educators who specialize in assessing and addressing the reproductive health needs as well as conduct online surveys to access the effectiveness of the workshops.

This program will increase the awareness and access of menstruating St Lucians to reusable cloth pads.  It addresses two problems the need to reduce plastic waste produced by menstrators and decrease period poverty through increased access to period products. By teaching women how to make cloth pads they will no longer need to use plastic laden disposable products.  Also women who currently do not have access to period products -who use tissues, socks and other items - will have access to reliable low cost period products.

Cloth pads can decrease plastic waste in St Lucia. They can be easily made from materials readily available in St Lucia or from upcycled materials. Upcycled material refers to repurposed items such as tshirts, bed sheets, towels or blankets. Period free plastics helps decrease plastic by teaching women and girls how to use readily available material to create reusable cloth pads.  

Participants in this project will be taught about choosing fabrics, using patterns and how to sew a pad. Each participant will be given a handout (hard copy and/or electronic) with detailed information so that they may have access to information after the workshop.  They will also be able to join the Facebook group 758 Reusables for ongoing support and access to additional resources.  The group is a closed Facebook group to increase awareness of reusable menstrual products by sharing tips and resources and providing and avenue for connection and sharing experiences with peers.

Initially participants will be taught hand sewing and the various stitches that can be used when making pads.  This is because hand sewing is low cost and an easier skill to learn.  Needles and thread are readily available in St Lucia and can be purchased for as little as one dollar in certain locations. Pads created using this method are functional and durable.  Monetta Wilson has been using pads created using this method for over 1 year and have not been damaged despite repeated machine washing.

The workshop is designed to be taught in 3 hours.  It is designed to increase awareness of reusable menstrual products and encourage participants to replace disposable plastic laden cloth pads with reusable cloth pads.  The effectiveness and efficacy of the workshop will be measured using surveys conducted using google forms.  The survey will be conducted electronically.  Where participants do not have access to internet they will be provided with paper surveys to fill out

Eventually the program hopes to expand to create cooperatives and become self sufficient and supply cloth pads to local retail stores.  This will require increased productivity and efficiency.  Participants would need to be taught how to use electronic sewing machines to create top quality products.  They will also require using a serger sewing machine to increase the longevity of the pads and provide a variety of styles to meet the customers needs.  Participants will also need entrepreneurial and business training to ensure financial sustainability and success.

To me innovation means applying a new solution to an existing problem.  Plastic free periods is a new solution to two existing problems: plastic waste and period poverty.  This project applies existing technology to serve a new population with the goal of introducing a new business model to make the solution more effective.

Cloth pads have been in existence for thousands of years.  In more recent times we have seen "upgrades". Simple rags and strips of cloth have been replaced with pads constructed by sewing together several layers of fabric.  Women in St Lucia are not widely aware of cloth pads no do they have access to the pads. We can introduce this technology to women by teaching them how to make the pads from materials that are readily available in St Lucia.  This will lead to an increase in access to reusable cloth pads and a decrease in plastic waste and period poverty.

If you visit pharmacies and supermarkets in St Lucia you will see a wide range of disposable period products and no reusable period products. Teaching women about cloth pads will create a market for cloth pads. Establishing cooperatives will create a supply of cloth pads.  This will create a new business model where cloth pads become readily available to menstrators in St Lucia. When cloth pads are readily available they become a viable option to replace disposable period products thereby decreasing plastic waste.

Most women are not aware of what is in their period products and how it affects the environment.  By raising awareness on the effect of disposable period products on the environment we can begin to effect a change in behavior.  In addition menstrators will also be influenced to shift to reusable period products due to various socio economic factors such as period poverty and the increasing price of disposable period products.

The desired outcome of this project is to increase the use of reusable cloth pads by menstrators in St Lucia in order to decrease plastic waste. This will be attained by teaching women and girls how to make cloth pads, educating them on cloth pad usage and creating a market for cloth pad businesses. 

Some women will be motivated to change because of the benefits to the environment.  Reusable products can last up to 10 years with proper care and significantly decrease the amount of plastic waste going into landfills.  Others will be motivated by financial reasons. Reusable cloth pads can be very low cost if created from upcycled materials and eliminate the need for repeated purchase. 

In the past week I have had requests for 2 workshops as well as requests from women looking to purchase cloth pads.  I have been pleasantly surprised at the interest in these products. When I participated in the Herfleur program where we educated high school girls about reusable menstrual products they were eager to learn about reusable cloth pads.

Currently Plastic Free periods serves approximately 80 people.  In one year we plan to expand to serve 500 and 3.000 over the next 5 years.

Currently we have conducted workshops at one high school and one community group.  These workshops were well received and the participants were eager to learn.  We also have a Facebook group with over 30 members where we share information and resources on reusable menstrual products

Over the next year we hope to conduct at least 10 workshops with 20 to 30 participants each and significantly expand the Facebook group.

In five years we hope to create cooperatives in St Lucia and expand to other Caribbean islands. We also hope that the people we teach will teach others and pass the knowledge to those around them thereby exponentially increasing the number of people indirectly affected by the program.

Currently the workshops' impact is measured by 3 surveys hosted on google forms.

The first survey is designed to be completed by participants before the workshop.  It helps us assess the needs, background and experience of  the participants.  The second survey is designed to be completed immediately after the workshop and helps us assess the effectiveness of the workshop.

The third survey helps us measure the impact of the workshops.  From that survey we will be able to tell how many people have switched to reusable menstrual products and what barriers they faced when switching from disposable period products.

Each person who switches to reusable period products decreases plastic waste.  The average person uses about two hundred and fifty period products per year. By recording how many people switch to reusable products we are able to record the environment and economic impact of our project.

Currently we have not measured the impact because of 2 reasons.  The first is that many of the participants do not have access to google forms and needed printed copies of the survey.  We do not have funds for printing at this time.  Secondly we needed a dedicated person to be responsible for the follow up surveys.  In the future this will be done by a volunteer from Herstoire or the community outreach officer.  They will use their ties to the community to help accomplish this task.  

Every year an estimated 12.5 million period products go into landfills in St Lucia generated by approximately fifty thousand menstruating women. The ultimate goal of the program is to make cloth pads readily available to the entire menstruating population of St Lucia and the wider Caribbean by creating exponential impact.

The first goal is to conduct 10 workshops in 2020 to create a core group of people who can share their experiences with peers.  This will increase awareness of cloth pads, create a market for cloth pads and identify people who are interested in creating a business making and selling cloth pads. At the same time we will use traditional media, social media and grass roots movements to build awareness and create demand for more workshops.

Over the following 5 years we hope to move towards a sustainable model that contributes to economic growth.  The three main goals will be to set up cooperatives where women manufacture cloth pads, sell these cloth pads in local stores to increase access and expand the program to other Caribbean countries. With the right connections these cloth pads may even be sold internationally.

We hope that by the year 2025 locally made cloth pads will be sold in stores along side disposable products and maybe even represent a larger market share. The lessons learned in the initial stages will help us refine the program as we expand to the wider Caribbean decreasing plastic waste one period product at a time.

There are several barriers that prevent us from accomplishing our goals.  Mainly financial, cultural and market barriers.

Cultural barriers make women reluctant to use reusable menstrual products.  In St Lucia many people see menstrual blood as dirty and unclean.  Those who believe these will be reluctant to wash and reuse cloth pads.  Further many see cloth pads as a sign of poverty and may be unwilling to be seen as poor.  One such person said to me "I will never return to those days."

Although the the pads can be created at a low cost there are many cost prohibitive resources that would make the program more effective; particularly the second phase.  While it is possible to ask participant to bring in materials for the workshops it is more efficient to provide the materials as well to ensure that participants are well equipped.  These materials can easily add up and increase cost.  

The low cost pads are ideal for home use but the quality of materials would need to be improved before pads can be sold in stores.  The most innovative and effective fabrics for making cloth pads are not available locally and would have to be sourced internationally. These would need to be obtained at significant financial cost. Additional equipment such as sewing machine and serger would also be needed.

And finally we would need to learn about distribution channels and regulations surrounding feminine hygiene products before we could enter the market. 

All of these barriers challenge our success.

With ingenuity and grit we can overcome these barriers. Cultural barriers can be addressed by raising awareness and using peer to peer education.  The workshops raise awareness in schools and community groups.  We will also be using traditional media such as TV, radio and newspaper to increase awareness and sensitize the public.  The Facebook group 758 Reusable will also serve as a place where people can easily access resources.

The financial barriers will be addressed by creating partnerships with local business and organizations, grant applications, and donations. Over the past year we have received donations and technical supports from various sources including private citizens, private sector business and community organizations such as Herstoire. We will begin a donation drive in the coming months to build a stockpile of materials that can be used during the workshops.

We will address the market barriers by partnering with the various government ministries and regulatory bodies.  These will include the Small Business Development Corporation, Bureau of Standards and Ministry of Health.

As we create more partnerships and continue to evaluate the program we will surely come up with more innovative solutions to address the barriers that exist to using reusable cloth pads to decrease plastic waste from disposable period products.

We currently operate in St Lucia a small island nation in the Eastern Caribbean.  We host workshop where we raise awareness of reusable menstrual products by teaching women and girls how to make and use reusable cloth pads.  These workshops are designed to reduce period poverty and decrease the detrimental environmental impact of disposable period products. The workshops are conducted in schools and with community and women's advocacy groups.

Each workshops last 3-4 hours and has ten to 30 participant, 1 facilitator, 1 assistant and several volunteers.  Participants provide materials and equipment such as needles and scissors.  They receive handouts, materials and equipment where necessary.  At the end of each workshops participants walk away with one or more functional reusable cloth pads and the knowledge to create as many as they desire.  

In 2019 three workshops wee conducted in order to identify short comings and refine the process. So far this year one workshop is being planned in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. We plan to continue hosting workshops and raising awareness of reusable cloth pads in the coming year.

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Full time Staff: 1

Monetta Wilson - Owner of Sayana Yoga

Monetta created the plastic free period program and is responsible for administrative duties, training and teaching workshops.

Part time Staff: 1

Merlandra Wilson - Project Outreach Officer

Merlandra is responsible for organizing workshops ans assisting during workshops. 

Partners and volunteers:

Herfleur Program: 20 volunteers.

The Herfluer program consists of 20 volunteers who have been trained to work with youth and vulnerable populations to educate them on issues surrounding menstrual health and hygiene.  These volunteers will help during workshops with building awareness, social media, assisting with setup and preparing materials.

Monetta began making and using cloth pads in 2018 and Merlandra in  2019.  Collectively they have made over 100 cloth pads for themselves and family both by hand and sewing machine.  They have conducted research and educated themselves on the most effect fabrics, techniques and applications in the cloth pad industry. Both Merlandra and Monetta have been sewing since childhood; constructing a wide array of garments and household items.

As users of cloth pads with a collective 2 years experience they can share their experiences with others to raise awareness and sensitize the target communities of the efficacy of cloth pads.  They can assuage fears and insecurities that menstruaters may have due to cultural barriers and stigmatization of periods. 

Monetta and Merlandra conducted 3 workshops during 2019.  They also created a Facebook group to raise awareness of reusable menstrual products in Saint Lucia.  As a youth worker and former secondary school teacher they have significant experience working with the youth in a teaching environment.  They also have significant knowledge of the target communities and partnerships in these communities.

As 2015 St Lucia Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneur of the year; Monetta has developed business relationships that can be beneficial to the project.  Her time as a yoga instructor and small business owner has taken her to hotels, schools, media houses and other institutions across St. Lucia. As a youth worker Merlandra has build relationships with schools and community groups and has a deep understanding of the needs and characteristics of the target population.

The main partner for this project is Herstoire. 

"The Herstoire Collective is a team of individuals who champion women and girls’ advancement, sexual and reproductive rights, health and wellness, with a focus on females of the Caribbean diaspora. Herstoire advocates for centering and improving the lives of Caribbean women, self-love, self-care and self-empowerment. Herstoire effectuates and inspires agents of change through interdisciplinary and multidimensional practices of Health Education – Empowerment – Research – Stories."

 Herstoire will be partnering through their Herfleur project.   The Herfleur projects educates young women by hosting menstrual health talk in secondary schools.

The Herfleur project will provide volunteers to assist with managing and workshops and logistic support to identify communities in which to conduct these cloth pad making workshops. They will also liaise with their partners in the Health Education department in the Ministry of Health to provide additional support such as educating and reaching out to key community groups and LDCs.

This project serves women in St Lucia by teaching them how to make reusable cloth pads in an effort to decrease plastic waste, decrease period poverty and create a source of revenue.  Period products are a necessity for menstruaters and can often require a significant amount of the household income.  When disposable period products are replaced with reusable cloth pads this reduces household expenses and increases the portion of the budget available for other needs.

Period poverty refers to situations where women and girls do not have access to safe period products.  They of then use items that may be unsafe or nothing at all.  This can lead to absenteeism from school and work. Creating cloth pads from readily available items and help alleviate period poverty and increase productivity.  

Teaching women and girls how to make cloth pads teaches them a marketable skill that can be used to increase income potential and create a new sustainable market.  

Replacing disposable period products with reusable cloth pads will significantly decrease plastic waste.  As leading plastic polluter per capita in the world this is a problem that needs to be urgently addressed in St Lucia.

Overall this project provides values by increasing the quality of life in the communities it serve. It will lead to decreased plastic pollution which increases the quality of the environment, decreased period poverty, increased productivity and creation on a new sustainable market with income potential for marginalized populations.

The first stages of the project will be funded through donations and grants.  The Herfleur project's main financial contributor is Bank of St Lucia.  Their funds will be used to supplement grants obtained by Sayana Yoga.  Currently we have applied for one grant from the St Lucia National Conservation Fund and will be applying from another from the Tourism Enhancement Fund for building sustainable communities.

We have requested donations from local businesses and are awaiting a response.

As we create awareness on the efficacy and effectiveness of cloth pad we hope to create market demand for cloth pads.  In response to the market demand, in the second phase of the project, we will help women establish collectives to sell pads and teach others how to make them.  Eventually these collectives should generate enough funding to become a sustainable community based industry.

Plastic free periods is a simple project with astronomical potential but we face several challenges. Many solutions to problems in the developing world are often developed and implemented by people from developed countries.  These solutions often fail because they were created from the perspective of people in developed countries who have access to technology and infrastructure that may not be readily available in developed nations.

Plastic free periods was developed by a St Lucian woman with the unique perspective of a St Lucian and will be implemented by St Lucians.  This means that the target population will be more receptive because they will have a lot in common with the program facilitators and volunteers.

Replacing disposable period products with reusable cloth pads is a small action that can have a big impact on environmental sustainability and quality of life. Cloth pads have come a long way since our mothers used rags cut from old diapers and washed them in the river. Today cloth pads come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be modified and personalized to suit the individual's needs.  Using the existing approach of peer to peer learning combined with the existing cloth pad technologies this project can enrich the live of St Lucian women.

Rethink plastics can help by raising the profile of the project to overcome cultural barriers, providing  financial assistance to overcome financial barriers and technical assistance to overcome market barriers. With the assistance of Rethink Plastics Challenge we can succeed. 

Not Applicable

Day for Girls. This international organization has reached over a million girls worldwide.  They increase access to menstrual products and care through education and community partnerships.  we would like to learn more about their model of community partnerships and increasing the scale of our program. 

Cloth Connection Outreach Charity. This Michigan based charity provides reusable cloth pad kits to needy women in several countries.  We would like to learn more about educational resources and the technology used to identify participants in their program.

Girls of a Feather. Advocates for women's needs in St Lucia. We would like to partner with them to connect with women advocates  and community organizations.

Barbados PCOS and Endometriosis Association. Advocate for reproductive health and visibility in Barbados and mentor groups in other Caribbean islands.  We would like to partner with them to connect with reproductive health advocates across the Caribbean.