Sustainable September: DAME

Brains : Love

01 October 2020

We don't need to hark on about why we should all be thinking more sustainably – there's enough news about the climate crisis to clearly tell us that – but even for the best of us, we still need a nudge in the environmentally friendly direction to make the changes that'll better our planet.

In this day and age, a reusable coffee cup is no longer your get-out-of-jail-free-card for acting sustainably in other areas of your life. Now more than ever, we need to be putting our green thinking caps on and addressing how we can buy more sustainably with the clothes we wear, the beauty we put on our skin and the ornaments we place in our homes. So, this September, we're doing exactly that.

Our new 'Sustainable September' series will be highlighting the best sustainably-minded products and brands that range over fashion, beauty and homeware, everyday throughout the month, showing that there are earth-affable options that you can opt for. Today, we're looking at eco-friendly brand, DAME, and the creation of the worlds first ever reusable tampon applicator.

Reaching for our reusable water bottle before we head out the door has become as natural as remembering to pick up the keys before leaving every morning. Our everyday is (slowly) starting to become intertwined with more and more environmentally-friendly essentials, as we think more eco-consciously rather than for our own convenience. And finally, the attention has turned to sanitary products, as sustainable stalwarts will know in the UK alone, we throw away 13 billion tampon applicators every single year. Thankfully, a brand that has come to our rescue is DAME, turning periods green, with the worlds first reusable tampon applicator.

First launched in 2019 by Celia Pool and Alec Mills, DAME, was born from the duo’s desire to create more sustainable option for women on their period, which in addition, was also better for their health. Unknowing to us, normal tampons contain nasty and synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, fragrances and bleach, which then leak into our body. But with DAME, your mind will be at ease that the aforementioned are no where to be seen; their tampons are made from 100% organic cotton, that are completely synthetic free and biodegradable (just remember to put them in the bin), and are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified.

Having joined forces in 2015 for their first period product startup, Sanitary Owl, it was then that Celia and Alec truly realised how toxic the industry really was. All products on the market were highly saturated in plastic, with even the absorbent cotton – which you would assume are made from natural fibres – were laced in the stuff. Enough was enough, after four years of hard and rewarding work, the pair developed the 'D': a one-of-a-kind applicator that has forever changed the way we use tampons.

So how does it work? Well, you can use it with every size of tampon, it lasts for life and you’ll be saving up to 12,000 disposable plastic period products that you would normally use in your lifetime – that’s a 70% smaller emissions footprint. The applicators are made of Mediprene® by medical engineers in the UK, and are BPA free, leak free, while also being infused with a naturally occurring antibacterial Sanipolymers® to keep it antimicrobial at all times – which essentially means it can clean itself. Rinse your reusable container under cold water, wipe dry with a clean paper towel, store it in your breathable travel wallet and then you're good to go. Why are you waiting, head to Selfridges now to buy yours, and you won't look back!

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