A reusable tampon applicator exists, and it’s here to help you save the environment

There are so many things we love and depend on that, sadly, contribute to unnecessary waste. We don’t know what we’d do without reliable period products, but a lot of them aren’t so great for the environment. So the notion of a reusable tampon applicator is music to our environmentally friendly ears. It’s the perfect way to solve a problem that isn’t talked about nearly enough.

The book Flow: The Cultural History of Menstruation, written by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim, states that the average woman throws away between 250 and 300 pounds of period-related waste throughout her lifetime. That aazccounts for pads, tampons, applicators, and wrapping.

However, a company called DAME, which was launched by Celia Pool and Alec Mills, is set on helping. They’re creating what they call “D” — a reusable tampon applicator. They believe in their product so much, they’ve launched a Kickstarter to get the word out. The site says that D uses a self-cleaning technology, and they’ve taken around 14 months to make sure the prototype was perfect.

We're now LIVE! You can buy one on #Kickstarter here https://t.co/FpwTONuygJ
D is the first reusable tampon applicator. It uses antimicrobial technology so you can have the comfort of a plastic applicator without the plastic waste. #BleedRedThinkGreen #zeroplastic #PassOnPlastic pic.twitter.com/G2o7BA5p39

— DAME. (@DAMEforGood) February 27, 2018

The company says the product works much like a standard applicator — you just don’t toss it out when you’re done.

"Not enough people are using reusable period products — the desire is there but the habit change is too much of a barrier," their Kickstarter states. "We want to keep things simple. Using D is what you do already, you just don't throw it away."

Or get a reusable applicator. This incredible product launched today: https://t.co/fSLlRU0rBq pic.twitter.com/AIfd7kqame

— DAME. (@DAMEforGood) February 27, 2018

Even better, it comes in its own travel pouch, so you’ll never have to worry about storage, and you can order DAME’s (organic) tampons to use with the applicator as well.

We’re so glad a company thought of such a simple yet innovative solution to such a huge problem. It definitely seems like a product worth backing.