Aibu to expect my office to have a sanitary bin

[popalop]

I’ve never worked anywhere that hasn’t had one, aibu to expect one? My whole office is women. I only started recently and obviously came a bit stuck recently. I didn’t notice when I started. I’m a bit embarrassed tbh about the whole situation.

Just point it out to your boss. Don't make a big deal about it. just say "I need a bin for san pro/used tampons/ feminine hygiene products a bit urgently in the women's loos, please." or similar. Talk about it as though it's something they will want to know and that you are totally entitled to ask for.

When I started at my last job there were no sanitary bins (no women there yet) or even a normal bin. We had chemical toilets (as it was a building site) and this was before I discovered moon cups.

The first time I had to dispose of stuff I just said to the site manager 'there are no bins in the toilets, do we just chuck rubbish in the toilet'? He said yes and then shortly after sanitary bins appeared.

@Hellbentwellwent

Yes unfortunately they are usually only allowed to be emptied by the company that supplies them and there's a special lock on them to stop them being opened by anyone else.
Obviously I've never tried to pry one open with a screwdriver and empty it because it was stinking the place out. Nope, not me. might have split the bin and company had to pay for the damage
Quite often I hoy at least one of ours out in the bin area because it's foul, and replace it with one not used very often.

Jeez, it's a legal requirement. Those suggesting mooncups/washable pads - if your employer couldn't be bother to pay for a toilet in your workplace would you be saying 'swap to a compostable bucket with sawdust in. Great for the plants and saves water!' No, thought not...

Everyone should be switching to reusables anyway 🤷

I had to raise this issue on a construction site a couple of years ago. I decided I was old enough to be unembarrassable about it and just tackled it straight out with the site manager . I think it just hadnt occurred to them but there were 6 or 7 young women based there for 4 months. I was quite prepared to take it higher under health and safety. I think for small employers a lidded lined bin regularly emptied by the cleaner could suffice, the regs specify "suitable means of disposal".

This is the 21st century in one of the largest economies in the world. Other than in parts of Northern Ireland we are not backward. YANBU to expect this.

I think for small employers a lidded lined bin regularly emptied by the cleaner could suffice, the regs specify "suitable means of disposal".

It doesn't.

I did check actually but it was only a quick Google.

To those saying this bin will suffice, it’s not lined. I’m still not sure if there’s cleaners as someone brought in the tea towels today from home saying theyd washed them and they have a basin for washing up.
There’s also a towel that’s so ragged and everyone shares it, I’m not sure how mooncups work but the sink is out in the open so you use the toilet then go into a separate shared room straight on from the cubicle to wash your hands and dry them with the one manly towel not sure if you have to wash mooncups but will look into them.

Only problem is my periods are like I’m slaughtering animals and I have to wear a pad and tampon just to get through the day so not sure if they’d work for me!

Manky towel not manly *

prawnofcreation the CEO and FD were such cheapskates that I just know that they cancelled the contract to save money.

I know they actually made a conscious decision to not provide sanitary disposal.

But they tried to blame other staff.

At one of the earlier offices the toilets were shared so they had to pay their fair share.

It was truly disgusting. Especially when he CEO would try bring up in staff meetings that people had to be cleaner and tidier.

It still pisses me off now but thankfully I am well shot of the place.

I keep thinking I should put up a employee review though

Over time moon cups can reduce the amount of blood and cramps for some people.

If ppl are doing things themselves you could appoint yourself toilet bin monitor and buy a roll of bin liners and leave it next to the bin.

I bought a roll over a year ago and change my living room and bathroom bins weekly and it's only just running out, but still got a good few weeks left. I got the scented ones from the £1 shop.

Don't they have a cleaner? Who does the hoovering etc?

Fuck am I cleaning up after colleagues. I'll clean up after myself, use the appropriate bins and the company can pay for the rest as they should be.

@Eliza9917 I don’t think it’s ok for me to become chief toilet monitor at work as a result of the bosses not really either thinking of these things or caring. But thank you re the advice it’s just I want to go to work to do the job I was hired to do. At home I have a cleaner but when I didn’t I did all these things but it was for myself in my own home not for people I don’t know!

Mooncups are only good if you don't have to wash your bloody hands where anyone could see. And if you've never had the joy of bloody hands then you don't understand heavy periods.

@PrawnOfCreation where did you see that as I will hold onto that and just ask thanks

www.vrsani-co.co.uk/about/legal-requirements/

This is a waste disposal companies site but does list the relevant bits and bobs they must adhere to, also mentions how long records have to be kept for. Like PP I've been the one saying we need this and you must provide it. Hopefully your employer isn't cheap, just thoughtless and this'll be sorted in no time.

I love mooncup but they're not for everyone and I really don't think a woman who doesn't otherwise want one should be pushed into it because her employer can't be arsed to provide a sanitary bin.

Re the washing bloody hands though- when I used tampons I still got bloody hands that needed washing, they don't get any bloodier using a cup. That said I do much prefer to rinse my cup at a sink when changing as otherwise it's tricky to get it properly empty, so I totally get wanting to have a sink that's not in view of others.

Have a look at binny bins. We have them at work.

Eliza "Everyone should be switching to reusables anyway"

No. not everyone can use a mooncup and they shouldn't feel under pressure to do so.

nor do I wish to stash rags in my handbag to take home from the office.

Other than in parts of Northern Ireland we are not backward.

How charming

@Grace212 What's wrong with reusable pads? They come with waterproof bags to put them in. They fold up so the soiled side is on the inside. They are very very absorbant so no mess comes off them. They have no perfumes or chemicals in so better for your skin. They don't go to landfill. They save you a ton of money.

Do you have kids? Do or did you put dirty nappies in your bag to dispose of later when there was nowhere appropriate to leave them? It's the height of rudeness on here to leave them in someone's bin.

Carrying a waterproof bag with a used pad is nothing compared to carrying a nappy.

Do you have a dog? Carrying a poo bag around your walk til you get to a bin or in your car until you get home is worse than carrying a waterproof bag containing a used pad.

What is gross about a pad with your own blood on it? It's only period.

Your argument is childish.

For the sake of our environment, everyone should be switching to reusables.

OP I was in this situation last year. I moved to a new job. There are 3 cubicles in the womens toilets but only one had a sanitary bin. Our office is open to the public and also we have a lot of people hot desking there on an ad hoc basis. So lots of women wouldn't know which cubicle to use to access the bin.

I wrote an email to the (male) head of facilities who was based in a different building and explained the problem. Within a week we had bins in every cubicle.

Your workplace needs to provide a proper sanitary bin.

And, despite what other posters are saying here, you do not need to change your choice of sanpro to suit your bosses.

It is a legal requirement for workplaces to provide sanitary disposal bins that are emptied by a contractor.