Period poverty directly affects 1 in 5 women in Europe, who have difficulty accessing menstrual products.
The lack of menstrual education and facilities that allow for proper menstrual management leads to widespread period poverty.
Period poverty exists, is quantified and has a serious impact on the lives of some people: from causing school absenteeism to triggering health problems, especially mental health. It is defined by the difficulty in paying for and accessing menstrual products, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and education and awareness to manage menstrual health.
The cost of menstrual products, a real barrier
It is estimated that the purchase of disposable tampons and pads has an annual associated cost between 21 and 125 euros, according to a study carried out by Rezero. If the data is extrapolated, over the course of a fertile life, the investment is between 749 and 4,493 euros.
Another study, from 2023, identified that more than 15% of young women in Barcelona have problems investing this money in the purchase of menstrual products. In Europe, the Rezero study indicates that 1 in 5 women are affected. This difficulty not only conditions their day-to-day lives but also increases the risk of suffering from poor mental health.
Faced with this reality, the need to establish measures against period poverty has become evident. The studies provided by Rezero put on the table that the solutions must be through reusable menstrual products. For health, sustainability and economic reasons.
The importance of removing toxins from the equation
Another study carried out by Rezero, in this case in collaboration with the Institute of Environmental Diagnosis and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC), has revealed the presence of substances that can compromise human health in disposable menstrual products. This pioneering research, carried out for the first time in Spain, has analyzed ten samples of pads and tampons from various brands of regular consumption on the Spanish market, in which plasticizing substances have been detected in all of them, finding 19 plasticizers (such as phthalates) out of a total of 36 substances investigated.
The evidence of the toxic load of disposable tampons and pads adds to the other weighty reasons to avoid these products.
Environmental impacts of single-use options
On the one hand, there are obvious environmental problems. For example, in Catalonia the annual consumption of disposable menstrual products (752 million units) is equivalent to 9 tons of CO₂ emissions. This figure is equal to that emitted by a car that made two complete trips around the Earth. Regarding waste, it is estimated that a menstruating person, throughout her fertile life, throws away about 180 kg of pads and tampons.
In addition, it is a type of waste that, at best, ends up in landfills or incinerated. At worst, it pollutes natural environments. It is known that disposable menstrual products, along with wet wipes, are among the 10 most found single-use plastic products in the EU marine environment.
On the other hand, this presence of menstrual products in natural spaces has economic impacts, as administrations must invest large amounts of money to remove them. For example: the government of the Balearic Islands invests around 50,000 euros annually in cleaning the sea surface to eliminate single-use menstrual products, wet wipes and other sanitary waste.
Health and sustainability, without economic barriers
Another reason to continue spreading information about reusable menstrual products is that the lack of knowledge makes certain sectors show hostility when reusable options are promoted, especially when it is done to combat period poverty.
Defending reusable options is, simply, defending the rights of women and other menstruating people to experience this natural process without shame, in a healthy way and without so much impact on the environment. Regardless of their economic capacity.
Solutions against period poverty
All of this highlights the need for measures to address period poverty to focus on reusable products at affordable prices.
One measure that has been claimed is the reduction of taxes. In Ireland, a super-reduced VAT of 0% is already applied to all menstrual products. In Spain, it was reduced to 4%, a measure that, despite initial doubts, eventually also included reusable menstrual products.
In Catalonia, in 2024, the Government launched the plan “My period, my rules”, pioneering for its commitment to reusable products. In this case, the possibility of collecting a menstrual cup, an absorbent panty or a pair of cloth pads for free at pharmacies is offered. The benefits of this measure are twofold. On the one hand, it contributes to reducing period poverty. On the other hand, it raises awareness of reusable alternatives.
However, after a year of introducing the measure, only 20% of people who could have done so have withdrawn their product. This warm response to the offer of free products can only be explained by the lack of information about the benefits of reusable options. A new communication campaign would reactivate demand. However, other projects are needed that continue to disseminate the benefits of the menstrual cup, absorbent panty and cloth pads.
Promoted by Rezero, Catalonia also has a network of Menstruation Friendly Toilets, which enforce the right of women and menstruating people to have access to public toilets where they can clean and use menstrual products, such as the menstrual cup. The network currently consists of 880 identified friendly toilets.
Rezero participates in the European project Mensy
Rezero, which in recent years has promoted the New Period campaign and the network of sustainable menstruation-friendly toilets, is now participating in the Erasmus+ project Mensy. Driven by eight European partners, Mensy aims to promote menstrual education and awareness of reusable alternatives among the young population.
The strategy adopted is to train 20 youth leaders in each of the eight countries participating in the project. With the training and resources that will be provided to them, it is hoped that they will contribute to educating them on menstruation and sustainability. In this way, the aim is to spread knowledge of reusable alternatives among the young population. So far, a couple of meetings have been held with young people, and a youth advisory council has been set up. This has helped to prepare the materials and resources for sustainable menstrual education to carry out the training. In Catalonia, the definitive menstrual education training will be held on June 15.
These days, the project promoters have met in Croatia to finalize the contents of the training. At this meeting, Rezero has been asked to explain the journey made in Catalonia and the details of the Catalan government project “My period, My rules”.
The Mensy project and the Catalan government initiative are projects mentioned by the European Parliament in the recently published document on menstrual poverty.
May 2025