To be annoyed that Sainsbury's will no longer sell plastic applicator tampons?

[caddywally]

It's not a massive issue at the moment because I can buy them elsewhere, but if other shops follow suit I'm going to be condemned to a life of using pads because I don't get on with non-applicator or cardboard applicator tampons. I can't use menstrual cups, either.

I understand the problem with plastic but don't see why women who rely on plastic applicator tampons should suffer when there is excess plastic everywhere. I already live a fairly eco-friendly life - no car, 1 holiday in the past 10 years, rarely eat meat, most of the stuff I own is second hand (mainly for financial reasons than anything else, admittedly) - and I don't see why I should have miserable periods when there are people whose lifestyles are much worse for the environment than mine. I also don't flush sanitary products down the toilet, which I assumed was common sense. I probably am being unreasonable and should just suck it up for the sake of environment!

I could never get to grips with applicators.,I found all types nipped.Also the size of lillets I used didn't come with them .
Luckily I started using tampons before applicators existed so learned the knack of popping them in without.
My DD liked pearl but hated using plastic and has switched to a moon cup and that suits her.
I am menopausal so just pant liners needed.

Why should a supermarket be able to dictate to women what kind of sanpro they use? Are they going to ban condoms next because they are bad for the environment? This just shows that women don't count for anything, they can find something else to shove up their bits instead, doesn't matter that some women will be in pain or unable to leave the house because of their periods, after all they are only women. Make sure you sit on a Sainsbury's carrier bag to catch the leaks.

Why should a supermarket be able to dictate to women what kind of sanpro they use?

They are not dictating anything of the sort. They are simply not stocking it anymore.

You know I really love these branded steak pies but Tesco stopped selling them. I didn't feel like they were dictating I couldn't eat pie.

Just use a bit of lube on the tip of the tampon.

@Knitclubchatter

And if that doesn't work? It's not just an issue of vaginal dryness.

Yes it’s a terrible thing that you will have to leArn to go without a plastic applicator so that the entire planet can be less polluted.

Yes it’s a terrible thing that you will have to leArn to go without a plastic applicator so that the entire planet can be less polluted.

So getting rid of plastic tampon applicators will rid the entire planet of plastic will it?
What about the totally unnecessary mountains of plastic that tomatoes are packaged in. A plastic tray covered in plastic. Or cucumbers or carrots or most things Sainsbury's because the vast majority of it is wrapped in plastic.

McDonald's have done away with plastic straws which is a good start but what about the happy meal toys. I could go on and on.

I for one use plastic applicators because the cardboard ones are crap, they do not glide well at all they get stuck and they sometimes nip.
However I will use something else if that's al that's on offer but how crap that that's where Sainsbury's have started.

YABU. Applicator tampons aren't available in my country (not even the paper ones). Somehow we all survive.

Cardboard tears my skin. Applicator free simply will not insert.

This is such a sensitive area on so many women’s bodies, I don’t give a flying fig what other people think. Women should choose the best menstrual product for themselves and everyone else should stay out of it

I am disabled and have issues with my hands, I also have a recotceole prolapse. Tampax pearl work brilliantly for me, they expand differently to other tampons, and are easy to insert. The cardboard applicator tampons are difficult to slide in & nip.
I mostly use a menstrual cup, but it can fail because of my prolapse & other bowel problems, so tampax is what I use if I'm having problems or need to be 100% sure.

I'm fully on board with reducing plastic, however there are so many products that they could have gone after first- instead of essential women's products!

This whole thread reads like a redux of the plastic straw thing to me.

Some disabled people: We need plastic straws to take in food and drink. We don't want to die.

Some non-disabled people: Noone should use plastic straws. Ever. For any reason.

Everyone is different but I actually hate applicators, find it bends them in and the finger is SO much easier for me, and reusable haha.

This is not a bloody feminist issue tho, like some are suggesting! Straws are not just for women, or plastic bags, and those have been "targeted" for a long time. It's about the planet, let's not make this about something else AGAIN!!!!!

X

@mum2jakie disposable razors aren’t single use are they? They’re also not solely used by men. I know plenty of women who use them too.

Plastic tampon applicators are the ultimate in wasteful single use plastic. There are lot of alternatives and I suspect a lot of them end up being flushed down the toilet.

Sainsbury's who wraps so many of their products in plastic, and sells plenty of plastic tat which gets thrown to landfill within weeks? There are plenty of other ways they can help rather than eliminate something that makes some women's lives easier; due to the price of them I can't imagine many people use them just because- most will be because the others don't work for them. As other posters have said, pretty obvious women's stuff would be the first to be targeted.

chouetted don't you mean
Some disabled people: we need to use plastic straws
Many non disabled people: well that's it then, we can never stop anyone ever from using a plastic straw 🤷🏼‍♀️

It's perfectly possible to have some things available as aids for those with additional needs, and remove from general sale. You know, like a huge number of medications.

Plastic applicators aren't the only single use plastic involved in tampons, though. A lot of tampon brands have plastic fibres in the tampon. And a lot of brands are hygienically wrapped in a plastic shell whether they have an applicator or not. Getting rid of the plastic applicator is only a partial solution.

Reusable sanitary products (and reusable everything) is the way forward. We just need more options so that everyone can find something they get on with.

It's perfectly possible to have some things available as aids for those with additional needs, and remove from general sale. You know, like a huge number of medications.

And you think that’s what will happen? You think my GP will say “I see you have endometriosis, I will now prescribe you vast quantities of the one (expensive) menstrual product that doesn’t rub your skin off within 24 hours of your period starting”?

Do you have any idea how under-diagnosed gynae issues are? If someone’s issue is atypically shaped anatomy, do you think they should need to see a doctor for a prescription just to get through a period?

Do you think that every disabled person who needs plastic straws would get them if they were only available on prescription?

For me personally I’d be happy if the more waste-intensive products were only available to buy online, so that those who need them can still order them, but that requires having a fixed abode, a debit or credit card and internet access.

I get that for many women, periods are a small inconvenience and not a medical issue, but you have to understand surely that for many it’s not the case.

Being able to buy a reusable plastic applicator is great, but at £25 it’s out of reach for many.

Please understand this is not just about convenience- this is about the difference between pain or no pain, going out to work or leaking through your clothes on the bus, the environmental impact of washing your bedding every day for 7-10 days, etc.

It’s ridiculous that women are still not listened to when talking about their own bodies and experiences of things like menstruation. If you have an easy childbirth experience without the need for pain relief or tearing, would you say that no one in the world really needs a c section or an epidural? I realise it’s hard to grasp something when you haven’t experienced it, but periods can mean half the month or more in agony for some women, and telling them to shut up and deal with it is vile.

@Stuckforthefourthtime No, I don't. There really were people calling for a complete ban on plastic straws. Emphasis on complete.

Reusable sanitary products (and reusable everything) is the way forward. We just need more options so that everyone can find something they get on with.

While that would be great, we have to accept that it may not be possible for some women and given the lack of belief regarding the issues some women face, I don’t see anyone rushing to deal with those issues.

I would love to find CSP that don’t cause my skin to break down, but despite having spent lots of money of different recommendations, they all do. My flow is too fast and heavy, the top layer stays saturated and rubs against my skin and then I’m screwed. Almost all disposable pads are the same - I’ve found only one product that works for me, which uses foam rather than fibres. It prevents me from being covered in open sores for weeks out of each month. Then there’s the fact I would need so many cloth pads, I get through a box of towels a day for the first half of each period.

I suspect there’s probably plastic in that foam, but what am I supposed to do? If they stop making it then I’m back to the days of struggling to even walk around during my period.

@SinkGirl there’s creams you can get prescribed that prevent the sores. Barrier creams.

There’s always a way around an issue, it’s not as simple as saying ‘I’ll suffer if I don’t use plastic’ because there’s always going to be a product and medication that will allow you to.

(I also suffer from soreness and extremely long heavy periods).

Sea life are being killed/ injured because of plastics in the ocean.

Whilst there are so many options for our period, including knickers now that can absorb a lot of blood themselves. It’s not great to moan about how you’d struggle without plastic applicators/ plastic backed pads because life should always be a priority over your convenience.

I use non-applicator tampons just fine - in fact, they’re incredibly easy. To those who say they’re not usable for people with short fingers - how far are you pushing it up there?

I’ve never seen the point of applicators and always assumed they were solely for squeamish types, so this thread has been enlightening.

Also, Lillets are sooo much better than Tampax IMO.

OP you've been given a solution to use lube and "don't want to".

Plastic applicators haven't been around forever. People coped before.

Cloth pads are a nothing like nappies and makes you sound ignorant when referring to them as nappies.

Fwiw I'd ban disposable nappies apart from those on prescription and make cloth cheaper. I think we'd potty train earlier on a population level too if we used cloth, further lowering the environmental impact. But these are not popular opinions.

I’ve tried barrier creams, in fact I’ve tried every barrier cream, nappy rash cream, bed sore prevention cream / spray available. Wet pads rubbing at skin that’s already been damaged countless times leads to more damage. It’s not just the dampness, it’s the friction of the pads in combination and the only thing medics have suggested to help with that? Surgical dressings, also single use items containing plastics.

When I found the pads I now use, it was a bloody miracle. The problem improved by 90% immediately. I still have some issues when my period exceeds 10 days, but that’s only a few times a year. Sorry if I’m not keen to go back to how things were.

The assumption that I haven’t tried to deal with an excruciatingly painful issue that I’ve had for over 20 years is a bit ridiculous.

Yes, plastic use needs to decrease, and of course plastic ending up in the sea needs to stop - and supermarkets think that plastic applicator tampons are the next big move, instead of their massive quantities of plastic food packaging. Why is that? Because it’s women, and because of the ignorant attitudes present on this thread that there’s no reason for these things to be necessary. Women try to explain their actual experience of how and why they are, and they’re either ignored or belittled.

Making reusable applicators available at a low cost would be one way to deal with it. Making sure applicators are recycled would be another.

Again it’s not convenience - come back and tell me it’s just convenience after you’ve been hospitalised on multiple occasions for infected open wounds on your genitals.

I’ve been through phases where I’ve had to self-catheterise, those are single use plastics too - the pads I use prevent me from needing medical treatment / hospitalisation just as much as those catheters, but I suspect you wouldn’t tell me I just need to go for a wee without one. Luckily for me that preventative measure is available to buy (admittedly I have to make a special trip to the only pharmacy that stocks them locally, but I can access them).

My son has to have his blood sugar monitored, and everything used for that (the strips and the lancets) are single use plastics to prevent infection. He has single use syringes too. Do you know how much plastic waste hospitals have every day? But because some people can’t comprehend that menstruation is a medical issue with real health repercussions for some women, the sanitary protection they use is fair game apparently.

As with straws, if you don’t need a plastic straw, don’t use one - use something else. You don’t get to tell disabled people that there’s no way they need them, just because you can’t comprehend why they do.

I use non-applicator tampons just fine - in fact, they’re incredibly easy. To those who say they’re not usable for people with short fingers - how far are you pushing it up there?

Good lord. Everyone’s anatomy is not the same as yours!