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In the Red: a Private Economic Cost and Qualitative Analysis of Environmental and Health Implications for Five Menstrual Products

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In The Red: A private economic cost and qualitative analysis of environmental and health implications for five menstrual products Submitted by: Caitlyn Shaye Weir, BSc Combined Honours, Environmental Science and Gender and Women Studies, Dalhousie University (2015) April 3rd , 2015 With the generous support of: Project Co-Supervisor, Dr. Tarah Wright, Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Dalhousie University and Project Co-Supervisor, Dr. Peter Tyedmers Professor and Director for the School of Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements: ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Background Context and Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 9 Project Overview ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.0 Literature Review .................................................................................................................................. 13 History of Menstrual Management: Commodification and Commercialization ..................................... 13 Private Cost Implications ....................................................................................................................................... 15 Influences on Product Choice ............................................................................................................................... 16 Life Cycle Analysis of Menstrual Products ....................................................................................................... 18 Environment and Menstrual Products ............................................................................................................... 18 Menstruation and Vaginal Health ....................................................................................................................... 21 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................. 22 3.0 Methods .................................................................................................................................................... 23 Product Selection and Scope ................................................................................................................................. 23 Financial Cost Data Collection ............................................................................................................................. 25 Qualitative Unpriced Input Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 26 Limitations and Delimitations .............................................................................................................................. 28 4.0 Results ...................................................................................................................................................... 29 Private Cost: .............................................................................................................................................................. 29 Qualitative Environmental and Health Implications: .................................................................................... 35 Qualitative Lifecycle Description .....................................................................................................................................35 Environmental Implications ...............................................................................................................................................36 Health Implications ...............................................................................................................................................................45 5.0 Discussion ................................................................................................................................................ 48 Cost .............................................................................................................................................................................. 48 Environmental .......................................................................................................................................................... 50 Health .......................................................................................................................................................................... 54 Social Perceptions and Gender ............................................................................................................................. 56 Marketing .................................................................................................................................................................. 57 6.0 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 58 References ...................................................................................................................................................... 60 Appendices ..................................................................................................................................................... 68 Appendix A: Inflation Calculations ..................................................................................................................... 68 Appendix B: Menstrual Product Quantity Calculations ................................................................................ 68 Appendix C: Databases and Search Terms ....................................................................................................... 70 Appendix D: Cost Results and Data Tables ...................................................................................................... 71 Cost Results .............................................................................................................................................................................71 Cost Data ..................................................................................................................................................................................74 Appendix E: Environmental Impacts Results and Data Tables ................................................................... 89 Environmental Impacts Results .........................................................................................................................................90 Environmental Impacts Data .............................................................................................................................................91 2 LIST OF FIGURES Fig 1. a. o.b.regular tampon. b. Tampax compak regular tampon c. Softcup d. DivaCup e. Sea Pearls .................................... 24 Fig 2. The average cost of menstrual product per unit, in Canadian dollars. ....................................................................................... 29 Fig 3. The cost of menstrual product for one menstrual cycle, in Canadian dollars. ........................................................................ 30 Fig 4. The cost of menstrual product for one year, in Canadian dollars. ............................................................................................... 30 Fig 5. Comparison of the cost of menstrual products with functional time unit of one, five and ten years for light, average and heavy duration, with 5% discount factor in Canadian dollars. .......................................................................................................... 31 Fig 6. Comparison of the cost of menstrual products with functional time unit of one, five and ten years for light, average and heavy duration, with 15% discount factor in Canadian dollars. ....................................................................................................... 32 Fig 7. Comparison of the cost of menstrual products with functional time unit of one, five and ten years for light, average and heavy duration, with 60% discount factor in Canadian dollars. ....................................................................................................... 32 Fig 8. Comparison of the cost of menstrual products with functional time unit of ten years using three lifespans of DivaCup (being replaced every year, every five years, and ten years) for light, average and heavy duration, with 5% discount factor in Canadian dollars. ................................................................................................................................................................... 33 Fig 9. Comparison of the cost of menstrual products with functional time unit of ten years using three lifespans of DivaCup (being replaced every year, every five years, and ten years) for light, average and heavy duration, with 15% discount
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