This week I had a zero waste period. Honestly, if you only had to read one thing about the waste management problem it should be this: reusable menstrual products are amazing. Not only for the environment, but for saving so much money and for the health, happiness and empowerment of people who menstruate. I find it really frustrating that these products aren’t the norm, especially when you consider that items like menstrual cups have been around as long as tampons. A reason for the disparity in success? Take a wild guess as to whether Always would make more money out of selling disposable or reusable products.

This article is dedicated entirely to the joys of zero waste menstruation. We all need to talk about periods more anyway, including those who don’t experience that particular gift from Mother Nature. Further, the reason for the current increasing popularity of reusable menstrual products is because of passionate individuals telling everyone about them. So, let’s talk – about the problem and then the solution.

What makes disposable menstrual products such a problem area for waste management is that the only thing we can do with them is send them to landfill, burn them, flush them or dump them. We do not have the better-but-still-not-ideal stop-gap of recycling, which we have with some other materials. And this becomes startling when you consider that the average person who regularly uses menstrual products throws away 125 to 150kg of tampons, pads and applicators in their lifetime. Given the standard material composition of these products, that’s 125 to 150kg of trash that will outlive the person who produced it by centuries. I mean, it’s just unthinkable that that’s the legacy so many of us are currently leaving behind.

But it need not be!

There are some disposable products which aren’t so bad. Compostable tampons and pure cotton pads do exist. But while using these is better than their toxin-filled alternatives, they are nothing compared to the literal game-changer and low-key love of my life: reusable menstrual cups.

There is no shame about the depth of emotion I feel for these silicone wonders (or non-silicone, if required). They’re basically soft, flexible, bell-shaped cups which you fold, put in your vagina, and then they unfold and catch the menstrual blood. They come in various sizes and colours and, oh my goodness, they make having a period so much less of the anxiety-ridden, uncomfortable, itchy horror-show so many of us have unnecessarily had to learn to put up with.

No more changing tampons every three to eight hours, no more sanitary pad rash, no more fear of leaking or smelling bad or feeling uncomfortable during sports or waking up in the middle of the fucking night to check if you’re sheets are stained red with the shame we call menstrual blood.

And, not to brag or anything, but I only have to think about my period twice in 24 hours. It’s safe and hygienic to leave cups in for up to 12 hours. In between that I actually forget that I am on my period. For those of you who do not menstruate, you will not know what an utter joy this is. Obviously, everyone’s experience of using the cup will be different, and I do not pretend to speak for anyone else, but I have heard enough testimonies to know that mine belongs to a growing trend of revelatory euphoria.

A slight setback about using a menstrual cup is that it does require some getting used to. It took me about three cycles to perfect the art of cup use, but there are some excellent guides out there to help out. If you require a lubricant, a good eco-friendly choice is coconut oil: purchasable in recyclable or reusable glass jars. I use it to condition my hair as well.

Trash Talk, episode three: Getting to grips with groceries

Some people might also have concerns about how to empty and clean the cup when out and about. Personally, I only need to change it when I get up and go to sleep, in which case I have access to my own bathroom. But even if you need to empty it while out, you can normally find bathrooms with sinks in the cubicle. Alternatively, you can easily rinse it over the toilet using a water bottle.

And if, for whatever reason, you menstruate but are unable to use a cup, there are always reusable cotton pads. In addition to empowering you to stop producing heaps of trash, they’re chemical-free and are widely considered to be more comfortable than disposable alternatives. And investing in them is far cheaper than spending up to £6 a month on disposable products. You should be able to get a fully functional set of cloth pads for about £100, which can last you up to 10 years.

Cups last even longer (up to 15 years with proper care) and are an even better investment. You can buy a MoonCup from Boots for around £20. That’s already cheaper than just one typical year’s supply of tampons and disposable pads. I mean, the benefits of zero-waste periods are almost unbelievably obvious and wonderful. All we need is greater awareness of the products that are out there.

And, yes, after 15 years or so, the cup will need replacing. Fortunately, silicone is recyclable, although admittedly not currently recycled by Cambridge City Council, to the best of my knowledge. Yet this does not diminish the vast amounts of waste, expenditure and discomfort you can prevent by switching to reusable menstrual products. We can take control and make this difference. So please, I implore you, menstruating population of Cambridge and beyond, make this change for the planet and for yourself