(1) Hi, I’m Kay. At the Tinkerbox, I dream up alternatives to single use, and bring them to life 🤗

My zero waste journey started with reusable pantyliners and I started making them before I even started using them. A serendipitous @Instagram request for a sewing machine and sewing skills took me to @sevaseed, where volunteers cut and sewed reusable pads and liners for underprivileged girls in rural communities, who missed a quarter of school because of their period; I volunteered. After we had reached our goal, I continued sewing them because I enjoyed sewing the curves and was thrilled to see my sewing skills improve; I ended up with a small stash that I didn’t know what to do with because in my head, cloth pads equalled under-privilege. How that belief has done a 180°.
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At a local outreach programme where I taught participants to sew their own, someone asked, “do you use cloth pads?” I didn’t. Boy did I feel like a fraud advocating cloth while still using disposable. Since I had my stash, I decided it was time to try them for myself 🤞
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Switching to cloth was easy because it’s comfier; I simply found myself not reaching for disposables. But it was when I cleared my bin that I had my aha moment. Previously it filled up with wrappers, sticker backing paper and used liners, now it was so empty and un-stinky. I realised how much trash feminine hygiene products create. According to Auckland gynaecologist Dr. Sylvia Rosevear, the average woman has 480 periods and uses 12,000 pads/ tampons.
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Comfort and waste reduction were enough for me to make a permanent liner switch but pads took more time. Over the next few posts, I’ll talk about common concerns and share my views on them. Watch this space 💛🙌
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Pictured: me and my stash.