Calculate the CO2 footprint of your sustainable menstruation easily with the Change Calculator! With the change calculator we want to show the multidimensional benefits of sustainable hygiene products. The tool acts as a kind of 'ethical compass' and should support you and us in making conscious consumer decisions. Here we explain how the numbers in our change calculator are made up.
Minimize CO2
Saving CO2 is easy with period underwear. The CO2 footprint of a person who only uses disposable hygiene products is 30 kg over a period of three years. The CO2 emissions compared to a user of a KORA MIKINO panty is only 1.5kg in the same period of time. If you compare the numbers as a percentage and with the help of a mathematical rule of three, the advantages in favor of our panties are obvious. *
*Calculation basis:
Conventional disposable hygiene products:
Tampon or sanitary towels: 10g fibre per disposable product, 1g packaging waste, 4 tampons/sanitary towels per day, menstrual period: 7 days, 13 cycles per year.
KORA MIKINO Panties: 125g textile fabric of botanical origin, number of panties required annually : 3, menstruation period: 7 days, 13 cycles per year. The key figures may vary per style, as the materials used and prices vary in production.
Avoid trash
It is easy to avoid unnecessary trash with period underwear. The contribution to waste avoidance can also be calculated in the same way as the CO2 savings. A person who only uses disposable hygiene products produces around 12 kg of waste within three years. However, a person who uses a menstrual panty produces only 111g in the same period of time. *
*Calculation basis:
Conventional disposable hygiene products:
Tampon or sanitary towels: 10g fibre per disposable product, 1g packaging waste, 4 tampons/sanitary towels per day, menstrual period: 7 days, 13 cycles per year.
KORA MIKINO Panties: 125g textile fabric of botanical origin, number of panties required annually : 3, menstruation period: 7 days, 13 cycles per year. The key figures may vary per style, as the materials used and prices vary in production.
Save money
Is period panties underwear ? No, in the long term our panties are significantly cheaper compared to single-use products. Although the KORA MIKINO panties are more expensive to purchase than standard pads or tampons, the investment in a sustainable alternative pays for itself over the years. Our users can reduce their spending on hygiene products by 50% in the first three years after purchasing the panty. *
*Calculation basis:
Conventional disposable hygiene products:
Tampon or pads: 10g fibre per disposable product, 1g packaging waste, 4 tampons/pads per day, menstrual period: 7 days, 13 cycles per year.
KORA MIKINO Panties: 125g textile fabric of botanical origin, number of panties required annually : 3, menstruation period: 7 days, 13 cycles per year. The key figures may vary per style, as the materials used and prices vary in production.
Do good
For us, fair products also have a social dimension. With the help of the Period Pledge, we want to end Period Poverty worldwide and sustainably. Together with our partners, we have funded several hundred panties for disadvantaged menstruating people since November 2019.
Calculation basis
Conventional disposable hygiene products:
Tampon or bandage: 10g fibre per disposable product, 1g packaging waste, 4 tampons/bandages per day, menstrual period: 7 days, 13 cycles per year.
KORA MIKINO Panties:
125g textile fabric of botanical origin, number of panties required annually : 3, menstrual period: 7 days, 13 cycles per year.
Sources
Brüggemann, V. 2018. Tampons, Binden, Schmerzmittel. Was kostet die Menstruation? Spiegel Gesundheit.| European Clothing Action Plan (ECAP) | European Commission: Development of EU Ecolabel Criteria for Sanitary Products. 1st Ad-hoc Working Group Meeting 8th June 2012, Seville. Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies. | Good on You: Material Guide: How Ethical is Tencel? | Lenzing AG | LYMI Inc. d.b.a The Reformation. | Kaza, Silpa; Yao, Lisa C.; Bhada-Tata, Perinaz; Van Woerden, Frank. 2018. What A Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot on Solid Waste Management to 2050. Urban Development. Washington, DC: World Bank. © World Bank. | Shen, L.; Patel, M.K. 2010. Lenzinger Berichte, volume 88, pp. 1 - 59. | Sterbenz, C. 2015. I bought a plain, white button-up made of this 'luxury' fabric - and now I'm hooked. Business Insider. | Unicef - for every child. 2019. Guidance on Menstrual Health and Hygiene. New York, USA. | Water Footprint Network. Water Footprint Assessment of Polyester and Viscose and Comparison to Cotton. | World Resources Institute: The Apparel Industry's Environmental Impact in 6 Graphics.
Disclaimer
Based on the sources listed here, we have made sample calculations for waste avoidance, CO2 and cost savings when using menstrual panties in comparison to disposable hygiene products. The sources are external contents which we provide, but for which we do not assume any liability. Other calculation methods and different sources can lead to significantly different savings results.
