There’s no contest: menstrual cups are a more sustainable choice than tampons and pads. If you’re buying a menstrual cup, we recommend choosing one that’s BPA-free, plastic-free, and made of 100% medical grade silicone.

Materials

Silicone

Several of the best-selling menstrual cups are made from BPA-free medical-grade silicone. Derived from silica, silicone is manufactured from this naturally occurring ingredient. While silica sand is the second most abundant material on earth, it’s still not renewable, so we need to be conscious of how much we use. While some menstrual cup brands like DivaCup list that they're recyclable, it ultimately depends on your municipal recycling program and what they'll accept. Some curbside recycling programs don’t accept menstrual cups for sanitary reasons and because it requires a special recycling process. Good news is, DivaCup has partnered with Terracycle to create the first menstrual cup recycling program in North America. The recycling process grinds used products into a silicone powder that can be used to make athletic tracks and playground turf. 

Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE)

Another popular material for menstrual cups is a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). While it acts and feels like silicone, TPE is still a kind of plastic, which means it comes with a bit of a bad rep. TPE is derived from petroleum, another non-renewable material, which is refined to create the polymer that goes into your menstrual cup. Plastic production is at an all-time high and creates dozens of gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. Before you knock TPE menstrual cups, however, know that they can be produced with recycled materials, which can reduce their environmental impact. If you opt for TPE, look out for menstrual cups that use recycled material.

Latex/Rubber

While less common, some menstrual cups are made of natural rubber, aka latex. Made from rubber trees, the latex production industry has faced criticism for contributing to deforestation, carbon emissions, and biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia where the majority of rubber trees are grown. In Cambodia alone, rubber tree plantations have led to a quarter of the country’s deforestation. 

Water Use

The most significant impact that menstrual cups have on the environment occurs during their use phase because they need to be washed after every use for sanitary reasons. On average, water runs from the faucet at 2.2 gallons per minute. Assuming it takes at least 20 seconds to properly wash a menstrual cup between uses and it’s switched every 8 hours, a menstrual cup theoretically uses 2.2 gallons of water in a day to stay clean. 

Using water comes with high energy (and, as a result, emissions) costs. However, compared to the water needed to grow the cotton in tampons, this water use is relatively insignificant. 

Certifications

Here are some certifications to look for when shopping this category.

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