• Empowers young people and supports parents .
• Decreases waste – reduced cost for the NHS .
• Reduced number of blocked toilets and bins .
• Lifelong benefits .
Sustainable period products as a mainstream solution
Talking to everyone about sustainable products – public health bodies , health professionals and parents – we hope to establish this as a mainstream solution .
We applied for funding , as these products are not commonly provided in hospitals . We were fortunate to get a Healthier Futures NHS grant , which has allowed us to buy pants for a pilot project .
Using a digital questionnaire , we hope to get enough feedback to support long-term changes in procurement to see period pants as an enabling piece of equipment , as much as a kettle tipper or raised toilet seat .
Monitoring and gathering data via this questionnaire , we hope to make a case for period pants in all health settings and to amplify the understanding that use of reusable rather than disposable products has a significant economic advantage , promotes independence and dignity as well as important benefits in terms of sustainability .
Why are period products important ?
Period / menstrual products are a huge cause of plastic waste – the average person who has periods will use 11,000 disposable period products in their lifetime – that ’ s a lot of plastic waste , most of which goes to landfill .
Tampons come wrapped in plastic , often with plastic applicators , and pads often come in individual wraps and with a plastic leak-proof base . There are even plastics in the absorbent material of many products . This plastic does not biodegrade but breaks down into polluting microplastics over 100-500 years .
Imagine , every ‘ disposable ’ period product you ever used is probably still out there somewhere . And next time you go for a dip in the sea , remember that disposable period products are the fifth most common type of waste found in the ocean . Disposable products also mean that we are locked into decades of purchasing .
There is good news . There are now loads of choices of re-usable products that are so much easier to use than disposable ones , and better for the environment and for you . Research into period pants and menstrual cups ( also known as Moon cups ) has shown that these are safe and hygienic , with a reduced chance of infection , and leakage compared to traditional market plastic products .
Information from https :// bit . ly / 3ju2CZP .
RCOT Innovation Hub : amplifying improvement
RCOT is at the beginning of a journey , collaborating with members to develop an Innovation Hub . The project is about cultivating an environment for growth where occupational therapists who are involved in innovation and service improvement can learn together .
Visit the website to download an information pack to hear more about the pilot phase of the project and to submit your improvement journey www . rcot . co . uk / innovation-hub .
Words JACQUELINE GORDON , Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist , Acute Neuroscience , Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust . If you would like to know more , please get in contact
Jacqueline . gordon @ gosh . nhs . uk or @ e8Muffin . The RCOT Innovation Hub is also featuring this project and the steps taken to make it happen ( see box )
February 2023 OTnews 51