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A Jersey-based menstrual care entrepreneur has expressed surprise that the Government did not prioritise sustainability when launching its free period products scheme.
St.John Pearce-Burke, who launched TOTM in Jersey in 2014 to "disrupt" the menstrual care market, said that while he applauded the Government's decision to address period poverty by providing sanitary products in schools and community locations, he had hoped that sustainability would have been factored into the decision-making process.
Now the biggest and fastest-growing eco period brand in the UK, TOTM products only use organic cotton, ensuring not only that they are plastic-free but also that the B-Corp-certified company is carbon-neutral.
Recognising that period products are the fifth-biggest contributor to plastic pollution in the oceans, Mr Pearce-Burke said that as well as providing plastic-free alternatives, TOTM worked to reduce this problem through its partnership with Plastic Bank.
"Last year, we said that for every cardboard applicator tampon we sold, we would, through this partnership, remove the equivalent of one plastic applicator from the ocean," he said. "So far, we have removed almost six million – the equivalent weight of 20 grand pianos."
In lieu of removing GST from menstrual items, the Government launched a scheme last year which saw period products made freely available at locations across the island the Town Hall and Library. Last week, that scheme expanded to include more locations.
When questions were raised over the environmental friendliness of products selected for use last year, Social Security Minister Elaine Millar, who has political responsibility for the scheme, admitted that the supplier had been selected for reasons of cost.
Asked whether period products made from compostable materials such as organic cotton could have been used, Deputy Millar said that, while the supplier evaluation process for the pilot scheme “was not limited to price”, the “successful supplier was awarded based on their submission being the most economically advantageous tender”.
Commenting on the decision, Mr Pearce-Burke said: "Fundamentally, I really applaud the [Government] for agreeing to provide free period products. This is a very progressive and important step. However, as an island community, I thought that, when selecting a brand to work with, they would have factored in the environmental impact of the products they were choosing to buy.
"While I appreciate that cost is always an issue, I cannot imagine that the difference in price was significant and I would have thought that our Jersey roots and the fact that we are the most sustainable brand on the market would have resonated with a community surrounded by the sea."
TOTM already works with councils including Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, South Gloucestershire and Milton Keynes, as well as a number of UK universities, and Mr Pearce-Burke said that, as the company was "constantly improving its environmental credentials, with a commitment to achieving net-zero by 2025", he hoped that, when the Government next considered its supplier, it would take a more holistic view.
Championing period dignity in a planet-friendly way ???? @RcaStudent https://t.co/THrUJgtV2q
— TOTM (@totmorganic) November 29, 2022
Mr Pearce-Burke is not the only one to have raised the issue.
The team behind the Jersey Sustainable Period Products Project (JSPPP) - which aims to educate local youngsters about sustainable period products and gives out packs of reusable products in schools - wrote to Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf and Education Minister Inna Gardiner over the summer, in advance of the period products scheme's launch.
In their letter, they invited discussion about how this could be a more sustainable endeavour, but received no reply, which they said was "a little disappointing".
Deputy Millar said the public's views around sustainable period products would be taken into account going forward.
"During this initial pilot phase of the scheme, only disposable products have been made available as emerging evidence from other jurisdictions indicates that disposable products still account for the majority of products purchased/demanded, despite reusable products being offered," she said.
Pictured: Social Security Minister, Deputy Elaine Millar.
"It is our intention to understand more about the types of products that people want and of course to ensure that sustainability considerations inform our decisions in the range of products that are made available through the scheme.
"The public consultation about access to free period products included a question on the types of products people wanted to see as part of the scheme. Reusable products were included within the list of options that could be selected and there was also an opportunity for people to suggest any other types of products not listed. We are also seeking views about the importance of the products being environmentally friendly. The feedback gathered is being used to inform our ongoing approach."
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