to think plastic applicators for Tampax are disgraceful and unjustifiable?

[appropriatelytrained]

I sent DH to buy me a pack of tampons recently from the local shop. He came back with Tampax Compak (the only choice).

I'm no green activist, but I was shocked to see non-biodegradable, non-recyclable plastic applicators used for this product.

It seems to me that applicators are generally pretty unnecessary but to make them out of plastic just for convenience and comfort (Tampax's response to my query) makes them an unjustifiable vanity product.

Churning out plastic applicators for no genuine purpose when the company know (despite what they may say) that these products will end up flushed down the toilet, is disgraceful.

Right, I'll get off my soap box. I don't post here usually but I just felt really angered by this when so many companies are trying very hard to change the necessary packaging of their products, this company is producing unnecessary packaging without thought of consequence.

[Vicky2011]

YABU - I can't use non applicator tampons or paper ones, never have been able to - dyspraxic and never got the knack, so to speak. Had to use pads until the plastic ones came out, they are a Godsend.

[minimisschief]

i think of all the crap people in society use and consume even those who are'green' whining about things like this unless you live in a mud hut in a forest is both pointless and trivial.

[Vicky2011]

Tough I am baffled that people try and flush them.....do you not know how much drain clearance costs???

[donnie]

I can't believe so many people are rushing to justify what sanpro they use.

'vanity product' - OP get over yourself.

I'm with minimisschief; unless you are living in a mud hut in a forest you are indeed being unreasonable. And probably a massive hypocrite as well.

[schroeder]

FFS living in a mudhut in the forest.

Now that is ridiculous and unreasonable.

What sort of person says stuff llike that? it boggles my mind.

[Papyrus]

Yes I agree with Vicky2011 why would it occur to you to flush plastic applicators down the loo or tampons themselves for that matter. Don't people wonder what the special bins are for?

[Ormirian]

Never sure that the argument that unless you follow a totally green lifestyle in every particular, you can't care about X or Y issue actually hold a lot of water

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. And for a lot of people, making something out of a non-degradable and non-renewable resourse, that can be, and in fact until recently was, made out of a degradable and renewable one seems like madness.

[squeakyfreakytoy]

I would also say, if you find them on the beach, they are not a pretty sight, but neither are any other things that get washed up on the shore. They are not going to spread disease or harm you.

I would rather put my energy into campaiging for plastic carrier bags to be banned.

[HauntyMython]

Agreed - did anyone else watch that program on c4 a few years back where they got some people to live in a dump? They measured everyone's carbon footprint and it turned out the most Eco-warrior lady was one of the worse offenders, as despite recycling etc she drove loads.

People should just focus on the stuff they can do, and not feel too guilty about the rest, and certainly stop bitching at each other for not making the same choices. I think putting pressure on each other is what the big polluting industries want - it takes the focus off them, and their crimes are much bigger than a plastic tampon applicator, no?

[Ormirian]

of course squeaky! But why not do both?

[NhameCage]

I think they could invest their huge resources into developing a newer biodegradable applicator with the same comfort level as the plastic one. It would be easy for them to do so YANBU.

[FabbyChic]

They are the only ones I use, used them since they came out until the day I stopped bleeding like a stuffed pig.

I couldn't use the cardboard ones and until these came out had to use pads with wings, now that is disgusting.

Get a grip on yourself no one is telling you you have to use them you do have a choice.

Like me I'd not buy anything but them.

[slavetofilofax]

Haven't read everything yet so sorry if someone else has said this, but I think Tampax should be funding a massive campaign to get people to stop flushing them down the toilet.

If people didn't flush them, there wouldn't be a problem.

The plastic ones are more expensive, I doubt people would bother using them if they didn't have a strong prefernce for them for whatever reason.

I'm fine with the cardboard ones, so that's what I use. I have a packet of the compac (not pearl) ones which are plastic, I only use them if I'm taking out a tiny handbag or I want to put one on my pocket.

[eslteacher]

YAN being totally U - I was just thinking about this issue the other day actually. Got a couple of the new "Pearl" applicators free with my regular cardboard-applicator pack, so tried them out. They were a LOT more comfortable to use than the regular cardboard ones. But that said, because of the plastic issue, I still wouldn't buy them. The added comfort doesn't justify the added plastic.

To me, it's similar to the choice to buy or not buy free-range eggs. Slightly more inconvenient to buy the latter as they cost more, but it's a tiny little sacrifice to make in light of the bigger picture. So with tampons it's slightly less comfortable to use the cardboard ones, but you're doing a good thing by using them instead of the other, so it's worth it.

If some women genuinely can't use tampons unless they have a plastic applicator, then that's fair enough though. It's just up to the rest of us to keep on using the cardboard or non-applicator ones.

[NadiaWadia]

I find that the plastic ones don't actually work so if I buy them I end up having to insert manually anyway. I'm fine with cardboard though. That'll be just me then I suppose!

Agree the plastic must be very bad environmentally, and suprising they are made in these times.

[Chattymummyhere]

YABU.. How would you like to be told you cannot use something that makes life easyer and "nicer" and painfree just because its not the most Eco? How about we drove drive we all pushbike because cars are bad for the enviroment.. Ban disposible nappies there bad.. Only be allowed electric from our own turbines or solar pannels etc?

My nails are longgg and I have no intention of having to poke a tampon up there to get covered in blood and more than likely cut myself with my own nails.. I have used the cardboard ones and they are not as comfy as the plastic ones.. The only times I use pads now are for bedtime (scared of TSS) and after giving birth, so I use both but the plastic ones are nicer and they sure as hell come with the price tag to match although I do wonder how much of that is purely VAT

[squeakyfreakytoy]

I am the opposite nadia. I often struggled with the cardboard applicator, and would spend precious moments faffing to get the tampon back into the applicator, often with little success as the moment they get damp, they collapse. Never had that problem with the plastic ones which is why I love them.

[QuickLookBusy]

Gosh this has made me so angry.

Maybe we should go back to when women used stripes of cloth and had to wash them or until quite recently some women in rural China used leaves, which they then dried and reused.

Yes, lets just all go back to the dark ages. How dare women try to have comfortable lives.

[FreckledLeopard]

I use the plastic ones as I find the cardboard applicators just don't work as effectively and sometimes buckle when I'm inserting the damn thing. Anyway, I always bin the plastic.

BUT...can anyone tell me if the plastic applicators CAN go in the plastic recycling that our Council does? We recycle all plastic (bags, milk bottles, packaging etc). Can't find any information on the tampax website. Does anyone know anything?

[lesley33]

"I would also say, if you find them on the beach, they are not a pretty sight, but neither are any other things that get washed up on the shore."

As I said above I take part in a national beach survey and clean every year. And actually things people put down toilets - and not sewage - are a major issue. Before this, the main issue was cotton bud applicators and plastic backing on sanitary towels. But I suspect in the next survey these will feature very highly. Sorry, but its easy to make judgements on what litter will be on beaches that are totally wrong.

[schroeder]

It's not a choice between being comfortable or plastic tampax applicators though is it?

Washable sanpro is much more comfortable than any disposable I have tried.

[diddl]

Can I just ask-those that find the cardboard applicators uncomfortable-why is that?

[slightlymad72]

Just had a discussion with DH about the flusshing of tampons/towels, he works for the water industry and is pretty knowledgeable on womens sanitaryware and its effects. He says:

Products that are found on beaches etc, tend to be from Rural Wastewater treatment works that are bound by different water regulations, the screening process for filtering out sanitaryware and other undesirable things in the water system are not as up to date (although still comply with regulations) as the more urban sites (which have tighter regulations). Some urban sites do need maintaining to higher standards as utility companies tend to only pay for upgrades when forced to do so. So if you have a problem with sanitaryware cluttering the beach complain to the Utility companies its their fault, the women who is flushing is only going to bugger up her own plumbing, unless of course she lives in the countryside.

He also says to carry on as its keeping him and many others in work

[QuickLookBusy]

schroeder I'm sure most women would rather eat their own hat than wash reusable, blood soaked sanitary towels.

I have 2 teenage DDs, I'm sorry, but the thought of washing that lot makes me feel quite ill.

[TheVampireEmpusa]

"Can I just ask-those that find the cardboard applicators uncomfortable-why is that?"

They sort of stick, unless I've got a very heavy flow. Same reason I can't insert without the applicator, it feels like trying to stick sandpaper up there.