The short answer: Most disposable sanitary pads are largely plastic by weight, from the waterproof backing to the absorbent gel and the wrapper. No mainstream period product is completely plastic-free, but some contain far less, and reusable options mean you buy and throw away far fewer items. The best choice depends on your flow, your routine and whether you have water and space to wash and dry.
How much plastic is in a sanitary pad?
A review of life cycle studies by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) notes that a conventional pad can contain up to 90% plastic, and that pads and tampons are usually sold individually wrapped in plastic too. Toxics Link, a Delhi-based research group, estimated in 2021 that about 12.3 billion used pads, roughly 1,13,000 tonnes, reach Indian landfills every year.
In a landfill, UNEP says the plastic parts of these products can take up to 500 years to break down, shedding microplastics as they do. Some used pads are burnt instead, often in small incinerators in schools and hostels, and Toxics Link warns that low-temperature burning can release harmful fumes.
None of this means you should feel guilty for using pads. They are safe, convenient and, for many people, the right choice. It simply helps to know what you are buying.
How many pads does one person use?
The numbers add up faster than most people expect. If you use around 15 pads a cycle, that is about 180 pads a year. Over 35 to 40 years of periods, it comes to several thousand pads. Studies cited by UNEP put lifetime use in the Netherlands at between 11,000 and 16,000 menstrual products per person, producing around 150 kg of waste.
You cannot control how much your body bleeds, but you can control how many of those products are single-use. Even swapping disposables for reusables on some days of each cycle cuts that number sharply.
What a typical disposable pad is made of
As Toxics Link pointed out in 2022, pad makers in India are not required to list ingredients on the pack, so most people never see this. A conventional pad usually has:
- Top sheet: the layer against your skin. In most pads this is a nonwoven plastic fabric such as polypropylene or polyethylene; in cotton pads it is cotton.
- Absorbent core: wood pulp mixed with superabsorbent polymer (SAP), a plastic-based gel that locks fluid in. SAP is the reason modern pads can be so thin.
- Back sheet: a thin polyethylene film that stops flow reaching your underwear.
- Adhesive and release paper: to hold the pad in place.
- Wrapper: a single-use pouch around each pad.
"Cotton" or "organic" on a pack usually describes the top sheet or the core fibres, not the whole pad. Our own Ultra Soft Cotton Sanitary Pads, for example, have a soft cotton top sheet and a 7-layer core made with Japanese SAP, which is what makes them thin and absorbent. If any disposable pad is sold as plastic-free, it is fair to ask what the back sheet and core are made of.
What about chemicals in pads?
In its 2022 report Wrapped in Secrecy, Toxics Link tested ten brands of pads sold in India, four organic and six conventional. All ten tested positive for phthalates, chemicals used to make plastics soft and flexible, and for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Organic pads were not exempt.
It is worth keeping this in proportion. Safety agencies in Sweden (KEMI) and France (ANSES) have also found these substances in period products, but at concentrations they judged too low to pose a health risk. UNEP's review calls for clearer labelling and more research rather than saying pads are unsafe.
Sensible steps:
- Choose fragrance-free products. Fragrance is one of the uses of VOCs in pads, and added scent is a common cause of irritation.
- Prefer brands that tell you what their products are made of and share test reports.
- Change disposable pads every 4 to 6 hours.
Questions to ask before you buy any period product
Whether you are buying pads, cups, tampons or reusables, these questions help you compare honestly:
- What is each layer made of? A good brand can tell you the top sheet, core and backing materials.
- Is it fragrance-free and dye-free?
- Has it been tested? Ask whether the brand has independent lab reports, such as skin-safety (dermatological) testing or testing for PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals, and whether you can see them.
- How long does it last? For reusables, ask how many washes it is designed for.
- How do I dispose of it? For disposables, check whether each item comes with a wrapper or cover for clean disposal.
If a brand cannot answer these simply, that tells you something too.
Your alternatives, honestly compared
Menstrual cups
A cup is made of medical-grade silicone and collects flow rather than absorbing it. In UNEP's review, the menstrual cup had the lowest environmental impact of every option, in every study. It does take practice to insert and remove, and you need clean water to rinse it and a way to sterilise it between periods. Our reusable menstrual cup can be worn for up to 8 hours.
Reusable cloth pads
Cloth pads absorb flow in fabric layers and usually have a leak-resistant backing, which is often a synthetic laminate. So they are not plastic-free either, but one pad replaces many disposables over its life. Our reusable cloth pads last 100+ washes, or 2 to 3 years with care.
Period panties
Period underwear builds the absorbent layers into the underwear itself, with a leak-resistant layer underneath. As with cloth pads, you wash and reuse them. A Fabpad period panty holds 80 to 100 ml of flow and lasts up to 100 washes, or 2 to 3 years.
Tampons
Tampons use less material than pads. UNEP notes that tampons without an applicator generally have lower impacts than pads, because the applicator adds material and packaging. Our organic cotton tampons come with or without an applicator.
Cotton disposable pads
Cotton pads feel softer to many people and can suit sensitive skin. But as explained above, most still contain plastic components. Choose them for comfort, not as a plastic-free option.
Do reusables really have a lower impact?
Mostly, yes, with one condition: how you wash them. UNEP found that reusable menstrual products generally have lower environmental impacts than single-use ones. For reusable pads and period underwear, very few studies exist, so UNEP draws on research into reusable nappies, which use similar materials. Its conclusion is that reusables washed in a water- and energy-efficient way are likely to have lower impacts than disposables.
One study in the review looked at India specifically. Locally made reusable pads, washed by hand, had impacts comparable to the menstrual cup and lower than disposable pads and tampons. When cost and social factors were added, the reusable pad came out as the preferred option for India.
To keep the impact of your reusables low:
- Rinse in cold water first, until the water runs clear.
- Use a small amount of mild detergent. Hand-wash in a bucket rather than under a running tap, or machine-wash a full load on a cool cycle.
- Line-dry rather than tumble-dry.
- Use each item for as long as it works well.
How to dispose of disposables responsibly
If you use disposables some or all of the time:
- Wrap each used pad before throwing it away. Our cotton pads come with their own individual disposable cover for exactly this.
- Never flush pads or tampons. They block drains and end up in rivers.
- Keep menstrual waste separate from wet kitchen waste. India's Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 ask for sanitary waste to be wrapped and handed over separately, even if collection on the ground does not always follow.
Building a mix that works for you
Most people do not switch everything at once, and you do not have to. Combinations that work well:
- Reusable at home, disposable on the go: period panties or cloth pads on days at home, disposable pads for travel or long days out.
- Cup or tampon with a liner: a cup or tampon on heavier days, with a cloth panty liner as back-up.
- Period panties overnight: many people find them more comfortable than a pad for sleep.
Try one reusable product for a cycle or two before you buy a full set, and see how washing and drying fits into your week.
Frequently asked questions
Are cotton sanitary pads plastic-free?
Usually not. "Cotton" often refers to the top sheet. Most cotton pads still have a plastic back sheet, superabsorbent polymer in the core and a wrapper.
Which period product has the least plastic?
The menstrual cup, which is made of silicone, and UNEP found it had the lowest environmental impact of all the options studied. Tampons without applicators use less material than pads.
Do reusable pads contain plastic?
Most have a leak-resistant backing that is a synthetic laminate. Because each pad is used many times, though, you throw away far less over a few years.
Are disposable pads unsafe because of chemicals?
Studies have found trace chemicals such as phthalates in many pads, including organic ones. European safety agencies judged the amounts too low to pose a health risk. Choosing fragrance-free products and changing pads on time are sensible precautions.
How should I throw away a used pad?
Wrap it, put it in the dry waste bin and never flush it.
Sources
- United Nations Environment Programme (2021). Single-use menstrual products and their alternatives: Recommendations from Life Cycle Assessments.
- Toxics Link (2021). Menstrual Products and Their Disposal.
- Toxics Link (2022). Wrapped in Secrecy: Toxic Chemicals in Menstrual Products, as reported by The Wire.
- Down To Earth (2021). India's landfills add 113k tonnes of menstrual waste each year.