Plastic Free. Period. is a project launched by Frome Town Council and Frome Medical Practice in 2022. The project aims to promote more sustainable (and plastic free) menstrual products that will help save money as well as reducing waste and protecting the environment.
Thank you to the amazing Liv Torc, spoken word poet, artist and producers, for this poem ‘May the Pants Be With You’, written specially for the Plastic Free. Period campaign and International Women’s Day 2024.
In 2024, Frome Town Council and Frome Medical Practice are raising £4,500 to give a free period pack to every Year 8 and 9 student in Frome that needs one. Period poverty, period anxiety and embarrassment about discussing periods can all make it difficult for young people to explore their options. But as part of the project, Plastic Free. Period representatives Charlotte Carson and Jo Morris have been visiting schools across Frome, spreading the word about plastic-free period products and their many benefits.
This project now aims to give Year 8 and 9 students an introductory period pack. Each pack will cost £15 and contain three pairs of period pants, a washable pad, a waterproof bag and a booklet.
If you would like to donate the cost of a period pack, or what you can afford, please donate to the Plastic Free. Period campaign here. Every donation will help us help young people make the switch to plastic-free period products, right from the start.
Why switch to plastic free?
- Research shows that people who use menstrual products use more than 11,000 disposable items in their lifetime. Most single use disposable menstrual pads can be made of up to 90% plastic. Bearing in mind the adhesives and packaging, each pad can be the equivalent to around four plastic bags.
- Disposal of single use menstrual products – tampons, pads and applicators generates 200,000 tonnes of waste per year in the UK. This could mean 39.37 tonnes of menstrual products produced by Frome (assuming that the town uses menstrual products at the same rate as the average across the UK).
- A single year of menstruation for an average menstruating person using mainstream disposable products amounts to a carbon footprint of 5.3kg of CO2e. For the population of Frome that could mean an estimated 72000kg of CO2e per year.
- Each period can cost on average £10, that’s £130 a year and £4,940 over a lifetime.
- The average person who menstruates throws away up to 200kg of menstrual products in their lifetime.
- Modern reusable menstrual products such as cups or period pants are incredibly comfortable, healthier, and easy to use!
Where to buy plastic free period products
Local shops selling plastic free (reusable and disposable) menstrual products. Please let us know if you find any more!
Selected shops are also providing discount codes for plastic free menstrual products:
Truly Sopel (14 Stony Street) – period pants
Oakville (3 Badcox, BA11 3BQ) – bamboo pads, menstrual cups and Natracare products – 10% discount when you quote ‘Plastic Free. Period’ instore
Denude (4 Bath Street, BA11 1DH) – menstrual cups, reusable sanitary pads
Frome Wholefoods (8 Cheap Street, BA11 1BN) – Natracare products
Shop Next Door (17 Stony Street, BA11 1BY) – Natracare products and menstrual cups
Acorn Pharmacy (95 Locks Hill, BA11 1NG) – organic tampons
Boots (10-11 Market Place, BA11 1AB) – menstrual cups
Sainsburys (Wessex Fields, BA11 4DH) – plastic free tampons
Oxfam (7 Market Place, BA11 1AB) – menstrual cups
You can also buy online directly from the growing number of brands producing plastic free period products. Here are just a few to get you started:
Wuka – period pants – 15% discount with code FROME15
Revol Undies – period pants – 15% off with code FROME15
Cheeky – period pants and washable pads – 15% off non-sale items with code cheekyfrome15
EcoFemme – washable pads – 15% discount with code FROME15
AllMatters (formerly Organi Cup) – menstrual cup – 25% off with code FROME25
Mooncup – menstrual cup – 10% discount with code FROME24
Fluxies – period pants – 20% off with code FROME20
The Period Lady – menstrual products, period pants and more – 15% off non-sale items with code Frome15
Plastic Free. Period. – Schools
If you’d like a Plastic Free. Period educational session in your school, please contact our project officer Joanna Morris. You can also download this information sheet, which includes links to teaching resources and where you can buy plastic free products:
Plastic Free. Period. – FAQs
If you have any questions you’d like answered before making the switch, take a look at our FAQs below.
Alternatively, you can find more facts from the Women’s Environmental Network or download their factsheet below:
