Tribewanted: Vorovoro

It was tea-time, the majority of us were sat around chatting to our new arrivals, getting to know them, telling them about the Island and what we are trying to do here. We got onto the subject of the compost loo’s, we explained how they worked, what can and can’t go down there!

From this we got to talking about Mooncups. Random? Not completely. We were told that the subject had come up in the past, but most girls couldn’t be persuaded. Neither could we! To be honest even the little I knew of them, I wouldn’t want to use them. We all want to do our bit, reduce the list of things we send to landfill each year, but the Mooncup, well, no.

I mean really, Mooncups? Just from the name you can see why none of us had even considered trying it out! As we started explaining the specifics to those who hadn’t heard of them, we lost a few people – yes the boys! They didn’t seem too comfortable talking about a device that collects menstrual fluid whilst inserted in the vagina. Odd that.

The next time I went to Labasa, I did have a look at the website and it informed me that Mooncups are “a safe and hygienic alternative to tampons or towels, are re-usable and have not been associated with TTS”. Hmmm… still not inspired!

Whilst preparing for my stay here on Vorovoro, I did worry about the effect my sanitary needs could have on the project. We are striving to reduce the amount of landfill waste we produce and use products that are environmentally friendly. I had shampoo and conditioner, shower gel and moisturizer that are 100% biodegradable and made from organic materials, but I wanted to reduce my impact further.

After a very quick search on the internet, I found the ideal solution for me. A change of brand, but not a change of product. Natracare – organic tampons and sanitary towels, 100% biodegradable and only about 20p more expensive than my usual brand. There is even an added bonus; the products contain no chemical additives and the cotton used is organic, so no chemical pesticides or fertilizers!

You can purchase Natracare products on their website which also has other organic products for sale. I actually found them in my local Sainsbury’s supermarket!

I did buy Natracare for my trip to Vorovoro, and I’m so very glad I did, as well as doing my bit for the environment, it actually makes life much easier here (all of the bits can go down the compost loo), but I will also stick with this brand when I return home. Using it makes the ugly necessities of our monthly cycles less damaging without compromising our comfort.

So if the Mooncup isn’t for you, there is still an option, a choice, for you and our environment.