Ditch The Rag is a fundraising initiative with the vision of combatting period poverty, through the provision of plastic free menstrual products.

Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints. In the U.K. 1/10 school aged menstruators struggle to afford adequate sanitary provisions, 12% admit they have improvised during a period with rags and toilet paper because they cannot afford conventional products.

The negative consequences of period poverty include frequent school absences which in turn hinder attainment, progress and later on employment opportunities.

Every child has the right to attend school unencumbered by their biology. The average period over a year can rack up a bill of £140, a cost many cannot cover.

Although the motion has just been passed to provide UK school menstruators with free sanitary products the environmental and economic sustainability of this intervention is questionable. While it is a step in the right direction the proposed solution fails to provide a holistic answer to a multifaceted problem. The environmental impact due to the short life cycle of the most popular sanitary products such as tampons and sanitary towels is worrying. Both tampons and sanitary towels produce excessive amounts of waste due to their non biodegradable plastic packaging, contributing considerably to our already heavily polluted planet.

Ditch The Rag will provide vulnerable menstruators with care packs containing alternative menstrual products such as the menstrual cup and reusable sanitary towels. The benefits of using the menstrual cup and reusable sanitary towels over conventional products are undeniable. They require a one time purchase with a product life span of up to 8 years, produce minimal waste, are more reliable, comfortable, convenient and safe. Such alternative products provide a longer term, more sustainable solution to the problem of period poverty.

Donations to Ditch The Rag will be used to purchase, create and distribute menstrual care packs to girls in disadvantaged schools, alongside access to safe sustainable sanitary care workshops. As the problem cannot be fixed if menstruators are too embarrassed to talk about their periods or don’t understand how their bodies work.

Each pack costs a total of £10 to purchase, which will give a girl a hassle free period for a decade. The packs will be distributed to girls on free school meals; who are the most at risk of the long term negative consequences of period poverty.

Donations of any size are greatly appreciated!

You can also support Ditch The Rag by shopping on our online store: www.ditchtherag.com

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