Target: Micheal S. Regan, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Goal: Stop the inclusion of menstrual products in America’s sewage systems.
98% of menstruating American women use a combination of pads and tampons to combat their cycles. Among the 98%, 38% have admitted to disposing of period products by flushing them down the toilet. Nearly 2.5 million menstrual products are flushed into sewage systems daily. This small act can clog toilets, break pipes and harm indigenous fish and other wildlife based on the microplastics and harmful chemicals menstrual products contain.
Menstrual products are a necessity for women, but even biodegradable products can be harmful to wildlife and sewage systems if disposed of incorrectly. When wildlife consume menstrual products, they may choke and be left with permanent damage to their digestive system. When period products enter the sewage system, land and sea animals are negatively impacted due to tides bringing up water waste. The best way to dispose of tampons and pads is to wrap them in toilet paper and throw them in the nearest trash can. This reduces the chance of them reaching sewage systems and harming animals.
As pads and tampons expand during flushing, they can cause leaks, clogs, and bursts. The infrastructure of homes is harmed through this wrongful disposable. When a tampon is flushed, it can cause a flood because of its inability to break down. Such products are put in landfills, but thousands are missed and end up in oceans and in surrounding environments.
Sign the petition below to urge the administrator of the U.S. EPA to put stricter controls on what enters sewage systems to prevent used menstrual products from harming wildlife and the infrastructure of homes.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear EPA Administrator Regan,
Millions of menstrual products enter the U.S. sewage systems daily through them being flushed down toilets. This harms pipelines, homes and the environment. Menstrual pads and tampons expand and may result in flooding if disposed of incorrectly. In regards to the environment, sea life and surrounding animals are exposed to the chemicals and bioplastics within such products when they are flushed.
Thousands of animals consume these products daily and are left with life-altering, and even life-ending, digestive implications. If nothing is done to halt these actions, wildlife will continue consuming harmful materials and their populations will decrease.
I urge you to place stricter limitations on what can enter the U.S. sewage systems in order to protect the infrastructure of homes and wildlife populations. Feminine hygiene products are an intricate part of women’s health, but they must be disposed of properly. Sewage systems need to be further examined to prevent any and all feminine hygiene products from harming wildlife.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Marco Verch
Tampons and pads and other helpful monthly assistances need to be disposed of according to directions. Most women learn this at home, or they should. When out of the home the same applies but we become careless. Women need to think! After all we are usually smarter than men. LOL! to be as respectful out of the home as we are inside the one is necessary.