What is Recircle Cup and why I started using it

My story of switching to a menstrual cup

Did you know that 90% of a conventional pad consists of plastic? The leak-proof bottom layer and polymer powder that acts as an absorbent are all plastic! Also, the cotton used is bleached to make it look really clean and white. All this plastic and bleach make sanitary pads an unhealthy and dangerous choice for frequent use. Your vaginal pH level is disturbed, rashes and infections result. The effects go even deeper, as embryonic development is affected by chemicals such as BPA used in sanitary pads.

On top of all this, an average woman uses over 11,000 pads in her lifetime and disposes them all in landfills, or flushes them down toilet drains. This means, if all Pakistani women of ages 15 years and above (38 million) are menstruating, an estimated 675 million pads are disposed off every month. This creates a huge, non-biodegradable burden on the environment. The plastic does not dissolve for a really, really long time. Adding to this, soiled pads, when left open in landfills, cause diseases to trash pickers and people living in nearby areas. How do you feel about this? I didn’t feel good at all. That’s why I decided to switch to Recircle Cup.

Recircle Cup is made of silicone which, being chemically unreactive, does not harm your vagina and your health. You might think silicone is also not biodegradable, but this single cup can be used for upto 10 years! This means I will be dumping a total of 4 cups (given I menstruate for 40 years in my lifetime), compared to 11,000 sanitary pads/tampons. That makes me feel good!

It was difficult at first for to imagine inserting this cup in my vagina, and my mom (like any desi mom) outrightly rejected the idea. However, when I actually tried it, it was not difficult at all. Infact, once the cup was in me, I could barely tell if anything was inside me. At times, I forget I’m even on my period because the cup can stay inside you for upto 12 hours before emptying.

Being a woman, I know your period can make you feel annoyed and putting a sanitary pad in your underwear is more convenient than inserting a cup. However, once I made the switch, it became just as easy, and knowing I was helping the environment made it worth it. I am proud of using a menstrual cup, and I believe you will be as well.

We’ll help make the switch easy for you with our guide.

Lots of love,

Wasma Imran

Co-founder Recircle Cup