To not understand common attitudes to disposable personal hygiene products?

[hooochycoo]

I'm confronted by this again and again on MN, and I confess I don't understand why it's OK to justify using disposable nappies, wet wipes, sanitary protection etc? Why is it OK to add so much rubbish to the world on the justification of convenience when there are alternatives that are still easy but generate less or no waste? Use a flannel, use a moon up, put/hold your baby regularly over a toilet/ potty, use modern easy quick drying cloth nappies. Why's it OK to recoil in horror at the hippyness of such things? But it's ok to continue buying disposable rubbish from huge corporations and throw them into landfill? Apart from an argument of "each to their own", aibu to not get it?

But don't most people have their own 'cause' that really means a lot to them but other peoples' causes aren't so important?

I spend a lot of my time, money and energy supporting a certain 'cause' (don't want to out myself ), it means a lot to me, I am very emotional about it - I just don't feel the same about the environment. . But I don't get up in arms because people don't support 'my' cause (although I know a lot of mumsnetters do ).

We all have different priorities in life. .

But in starting a thread like this I am obviously stating an opinion, and although it might be considered a bit rude to continue to hold this opinion despite others disagreeing with me, I'm genuinely not trying to be rude! I'm challenging other's opinions yes! But that's all.

Out of that list I've got an apple product I got given second hand. I'm not 100% perfect obviously. Doubt anyone is. But we can all research our choices, try other options and be open minded. Fair enough to people who have trued things and found they can't do it, and make changes elsewhere. Dismissing my choices as ridiculous and taking the piss out them without having tried them is not very clever or nice!

There was a MNer who said she had a basket of flannels by the toilet instead of loo toll.

You're not trying to be rude?

Well you are being, very. And really quite judgmental. You could have started a reasoned discussion on why you choose to use reusable products, but you haven't.

I don't really get the whole reusable thing. OP please can you address the issue of washing/drying them? Presumably you need to use washing machine at 60 degrees minimum (not the more Eco friendly 30 degrees now recommended for ordinary washes) and you need a tumble drier. Which lots of people don't have or want. I'm pretty sure my non-tumble dryer owning is more Eco friendly than your reusable stuff... If you have an explanation that proves me wrong on this then that's cool but I need to see what it is.

And 'hold your baby over a toilet' - you effing what?! If you are talking baby baby stage, there's no way that would have worked for mine. DS usually pooed when he was feeding, I really don't see how breastfeeding and holding over a bog would work out. Or if you mean older babies, yes you do sometimes know they are doing a a poo or want to do one, but pre-potty training I think it would be actually pretty horrible and traumatising (and not conducive to healthy, successful potty training and future bowel/urinary health...) if every time they need a nice quiet poo they are grabbed and dangled over a toilet.

Calling people selfish and then claiming you're not rude is really rather ironic.

Calling people stupid, lazy, selfish etc. is not very nice but you did it and you choose to do it not knowing if they had tried different things, or if they had reasons for not trying in fact you called people that just didn't agree with you.

Some serious over-reaction to EC on this thread.

FWIW I did EC once DD's toileting had got more predictable (4 months). She was never "terrified of the toilet" and doesn't appear traumatised by the fact she wasn't left to marinade in her own shit for ages, either. (I was also told that changing her nappy every time she'd obviously had a crap in the early days was 'unnecessary' and 'cruel'.)

It worked for me, might not work for everyone. I don't judge people who don't do it, but I don't expect to be lumped in with the 'blanket trainers' because I did.

And I drive, take holidays involving airplanes, failed spectacularly at reusable nappies, grew some lettuce which I never got to eat because the slugs got there first, used disposable STs during my miscarriages..

Do you drive a car? Because you instantly lose any right to hector people about the choices they make that may damage the environment.

Hoochy. You don't need big roll. Your judgey pants are so far up your crack they are doing the job for you.

Could you answer my question please.

Hear hear, MrsDeVere ^^

I'd also like to add: smug the smug off (to misquote Red Dwarf)

Well apologies to those I've been ride to! I thought we were just having a discussion. Is it rude to call someone's behaviour selfish when you genuinely think it is?

Washing nappies wise , with both babies I rarely had pooey nappies. If I did they get washed by hand. Wet nappies get put in washing with all other washing. Washed under 60, dried on clothes aired. Very rarely more than three or four a day, because babies mainly pooed and wee'ed in potty/loo. But yes, they both went through periods when they'd generate lots of nappies to wash. Then I'd wash them all together with bedding or towels or something. I use modern pocket nappies, so the main bit if the nappy would dry overnight on clothes airer. The soaker pad dries on a radiator pretty quickly. Not a big deal honest.

I'm in my late 30s mrs dv.

Convenience, simple as that. I've tried a mooncup and find it less comfortable and more bother than just using disposable pads or tampons occasionally, and don't like the idea of reusable pads.

Kids are out of nappies, didn't even try washable nappies with DD1, as Pampers were so good, even though I bought some to try. I did use washable nappies for a few months with DD2 but there was no way on this earth I was going to bother with them once I'd gone back to a demanding job four days a week. I don't know what I'd have done without baby wipes.

As for makeup wipes, I hardly ever bothered to take my makeup off before I used them.

It's not say I don't try at all to be environmentally conscious. I do recycle, take clothes to clothes banks, try not to waste food and energy. I try not to use the car more than necessary.

But I've struggled with depression, weight gain, insomnia, anger issues and poor immune system in the last few years- sometimes these things just make things a bit more doable.

You're all being rude to me to in my opinion! But, flame retardant pants and all!

MrsD well said.

op are you a man? seems to me your policy really only affects women's lives.

I don't use a mooncup as I hated it. my dd and I use tampons and that suits us.

on what planet do you think mothers, and it's usually mothers, have the time to hold their children over a toilet on a very regular basis? how do you imagine child care settings would manage??

read some daft posts in my time but yours is right up there in daftness.

do you drive and have you ever been on a plane?

Your flame retardant pants are looking a bit sooty.

No flaming's here, I have already answered your question. I use recycled loo roll, and would always prefer to have a wash. Sorry I thought you were being amusing.

Regardless of whether you agree about the validity of the convenience argument, many people will use it.

I had never heard of a mooncup before I joined MN and I would never use one.

I don't recycle, which may make me irresponsible but I will never have a child either, so it's not like I will be creating future users of the world's resources either.

Oh and I don't drive and have never flown so I guess that's okay!

I've said lots of times now that I'm not 100 percent perfect, no one is. We can all do better. Including me. No I don't drive. No I don't fly. But I'm sure I do some things that aren't brilliant. Is the main thrust of the argument against me that because it's difficult to be 100% environmentally conscious, then it's ok not keep trying? I understand now through this thread that some have tried alternatives and have found them too difficult and have therefore decided to make changes elsewhere. And I agree, fair enough!

I think fuck off, smug the smug off, whooping shit and the rest quite rude ( and also amusing) ! We're both being a bit rude I guess, but neither offensive in my opinion.

My car runs on veg oil, not GM, will that offset my tampon usage.

No. My question is.

How would you propose I manage my periods given that washable sanpro gives me a rash and leaks and I can't use a moon cup because it hurts.

op not sure if you answered the questions but

do you drive/fly?

have you potty trained a child and if so were you using a child care setting or a sahm?

just wondering as your attitude is a little old fashioned regarding the little time most women have these days.