Could Reusable Period Products Be the Answer to Britain's Period Poverty Crisis?

Two in five people who menstruate in the UK currently can’t afford period products. That’s not a small or abstract statistic. It’s an everyday reality for millions of people who are choosing between managing their period and putting food on the table. 

Period poverty is one of the most significant and under-reported health crises facing Britain right now, and we think it’s time we talked about it differently. 

The Numbers Are Hard to Ignore 

Research published by Bloody Good Period reveals that 41% of people who menstruate are unable to afford the period products they need. A further 30% regularly have to choose between period care and everyday essentials like food and household bills. 

Over a lifetime, the average person spends an estimated £4,800 on disposable period products. That is a high recurring cost, and for those already stretched financially, it compounds month after month with no end in sight. 

There’s an Environmental Crisis Running Alongside It 

The problem isn’t just financial. Approximately 4.6 million period products (2.5 million tampons, 1.4 million pads and 700,000 panty liners) enter UK sewers every day. A standard single-use sanitary pad contains up to 90% plastic, and the UK generates an estimated 200,000 tonnes of period product waste every year. 

Flushed period products break down into microplastics that enter rivers, coastal waters and the food chain. Damage to the UK's water infrastructure costs households over £100 million in remediation costs every year. The message from the water industry is clear: only pee, poo and paper belong in the toilet. 

One Solution, Two Problems 

Here’s what we find so powerful about reusable period products: they address both issues at once. A washable pad set, a pair of period pants, or a menstrual cup requires a single upfront investment. After that, monthly period costs drop dramatically or disappear altogether. And because they are washed and reused rather than flushed or binned, the environmental impact is transformed too. 

The savings speak for themselves:

(Savings based on an average disposable spend of ~£10/month. Individual savings will vary.)

A reusable pad set from re:gn costs less than two months of disposables and lasts for five years. That’s a pretty significant saving!

So Why Aren’t More People Making the Switch? 

Adoption of reusable period products in the UK remains low, and we genuinely want to change that. The barriers tend to come down to three things: the perception that reusables are expensive upfront, a lack of accessible information about how they work, and social stigma that makes the conversation feel awkward. 

Overcoming these obstacles isn’t impossible. But doing so requires awareness, openness and better access to information. 

As Craig Larkin, Managing Director at re:gn, puts it: "We talk about period poverty as if it’s an income problem. But it’s also an information problem. When a reusable pad set costs less than two months of disposables and lasts five years, the primary obstacle isn’t the product; it’s awareness. That’s a barrier we are committed to breaking down." 

Making Reusable Period Care Accessible 

At re:gn, sustainability should never feel like a luxury, and that applies to period care just as much as anything else. Our range of reusable period products includes washable pad sets, period pants, and menstrual cups, all chosen with affordability and ease of use in mind. 

So, if you’re curious about making the switch, looking to save money, or simply want to reduce your environmental footprint, we are here to help make it simple.