Ecological impact varies according to disposal technique (whether a tampon is flushed down the toilet or placed in a trash bin - the latter is the recommended option). Factors such as tampon composition will also affect sewage treatment plants or waste processing. The average usage of tampons in menstruation may include up to approximately 11,400 tampons in someone's lifetime (if they utilize only tampons instead of other products).
Aside from the cotton, rayon and fiber surfaces, these materials are not naturally degradable. Organic cotton tampons are biodegradable, however should be composted to ensure they break down in an affordable amount of time. Rayon was discovered to be more naturally degradable than cotton. Ecologically friendly options to utilizing tampons are the menstrual cup, recyclable sanitary napkins, menstrual sponges, recyclable tampons, and reusable absorbent underwear.
They discovered that the main ecological effect of the items was in reality triggered by the processing of raw materials, particularly LDPE (low density polyethylene) or the plastics used in the backing of pads and tampon applicators, and cellulose production. As Find Out More Here of these plastics needs a lot of energy and develops lasting waste, the main impact from the life cycle of these products is nonrenewable fuel source use, though the waste produced is substantial in its own right.
This was done no matter providing any importance to the location and proper techniques of disposal. In some areas of the world, menstrual waste is disposed into pit latrines, as burning and burial were challenging due to restricted private area. History [modify] Females have utilized tampons throughout menstruation for countless years.
The earliest printed medical document, Papyrus Ebers, refers to the use of soft papyrus tampons by Egyptian women in the 15th century BCE. Roman women used wool tampons. Females in ancient Japan fashioned tampons out of paper, held them in place with a bandage, and changed them 10 to 12 times a day.
R. G. Mayne specified a tampon in 1860 as: "a less inelegant term for the plug, whether made up of portions of rag, sponge, or a silk scarf, where plugging the vaginal area is drawn on in cases of hemorrhage." Earle Haas patented the first contemporary tampon, Tampax, with the tube-within-a-tube applicator.