Women are more aware than ever that their feminine hygiene choices can also make a positive impact on the environment. However, not every woman can afford to purchase a hybrid car. A mother-daughter team hopes that the new, reusable menstrual cup they designed will become known to women around the world. In 2004, DivaCup (www.divacup.com) dominated a $3.02 billion feminine hygiene market. In 2010, the category is predicted to grow to $3.15 billion. The product represents a breakthrough concept for women since there have been few innovations in the feminine hygiene category in the past fifty years.
“We are puzzled as to why women still use outdated feminine products, even though Western society has developed state-of-the-art conveniences.” Since reusable menstrual cups are an environmentally-friendly choice in feminine hygiene, Carinne Chambers and her mother, Francine, founded the company together.
The U.S. alone produces over 55.9 million disposable feminine hygiene products every month, adding to landfill overcrowding.
Women’s 41-year menstruation cycle (11-52 years) generates billions of pounds of disposable feminine hygiene products that are dumped into the environment every year.
As of 1998, U.S. sanitary pads and tampons were estimated to average 12 billion and 7 billion, respectively. They require great energy resources, and additives and surfactants they contain are detrimental to the environment.
It has been found that women look at these products when it comes to feminine hygiene as a way to make responsible environmental choices because of the global focus on the environment and health. The alternative to tampons and pads is also attractive to them since menstrual cups have not been associated with Toxic Shock Syndrome.
As a result of selling other menstrual cups successfully for more than 10 years, the mother-daughter team redesigned it and manufactured it from medical grade silicone to improve its structural integrity. It has been used for knee replacements and heart valves for over five decades. Even with extreme sports, diving and yoga, this cup remains comfortable, easy-to-use, clean, sanitary and reliable because of the new material.
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