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Reducing period poverty
The UCL community is joining forces to explore options for plastic-free sanitary wear and make UCL the first university to offer free, sustainable period products to its staff and students.
11 October 2021
Sustainable UCL and UCL Students’ Union are working together to reduce ‘period poverty’ by providing sustainable period products to staff and student who need them.
At the same time, the initiative is aiming to raise awareness of the pros and cons of different disposable and reusable menstrual products, including their impact on health and the environment.
“We want to allow individuals to make informed choices of which sanitary products to use and help break the taboo around periods,” says Emma Shirbon (Sustainable UCL).
Project Period began in 2018, when the UCL Student Union’s Women's Officer began stocking free sanitary towels and tampons in all the UCL Students’ Union female toilets and for collection from its main office.
Meanwhile the Student Union’s Hockey Society ran a campaign to promote menstrual cups in a bid to reduce single-use plastics across campus.
We want to allow individuals to make informed choices of which sanitary products to use and help break the taboo around periods.”
Then, as part of Sustainable UCL’s ‘The Loop’ campaign to encourage our community to reduce consumption and buy products that are best for people and the planet, staff and students were invited to come up with ways to help our community move towards sustainable sanitary wear.
Project Period also aims to use UCL’s research and influence as a global university to support change in the UK and other countries surrounding period poverty and plastic-free periods.
