A Belfast programme focusing on period poverty and sanitary waste has seen a huge demand, with thousands of orders made in the pilot's 24 hours.
Belfast City Council elected representatives learned this week about the unexpected scale of response to a pilot by the council providing access to free, reusable sanitary products. A council officer said at the People and Communities Committee (May 10) there was “incredible demand” for products.
Participants ordered reusable pantyliners, two day reusable pads, two night reusable pads, and period cups. A total of 2,767 orders in 24 hours were accepted via the pilot scheme.
Read more: Legislation to make period products freely available in NI passed by Assembly
The aim of the initiative was primarily to encourage increased use of reusable period products. The council stated in a report for its People and Communities Committee: “It also has the benefit of providing a sustainable resource for those affected by period poverty, which is an added pressure on individuals and families as a result of the current cost of living pressures.”
The report adds: “(It has) an environmental benefit as it will reduce the amount of period waste that is entering our waste stream and being landfilled, and it will also reduce plastic waste.
“Disposal of single use menstrual products - tampons, pads and applicators generates 200,000 tonnes of waste per year in the UK1 . In addition, sanitary waste can be made of up to 90% plastic.”
In the Belfast Waste Composition Study of 2014 it was found that 1.87 percent of all miscellaneous combustible waste, the largest category of waste the council collects, was of a sanitary waste nature, excluding nappies.
The council report states: “The Belfast pilot scheme received unexpected and unprecedented levels of demand with over 2,750 orders made in less than 24 hrs. Such was the level of demand that the notional budget officers had notionally allocated to the scheme had to be increased five-fold.
“Social media coverage and feedback on the scheme was also very positive. Commentary praised Belfast City Council for bringing the initiative forward. Over 95,000 people were reached through council social media on the topic with over 225,000 people having viewed twitter posts promoting the scheme.”
Councillors heard that officers are currently evaluating future schemes and ongoing levels of interest, and have not ruled out delivering products with some cost to participants in the future “to increase the numbers who can benefit from the scheme.”
Alliance Councillor Sian Mulholland said: “I was contacted after the 24 hours by countless people - when the pilot had closed - who were very disappointed not to get it. This has shown the need and the desire for reusable sanitary products. I think it was amazing we led on this.”
She added: “I don’t know if at this point I would agree with charging for the service. It came out of the Period Dignity motion we had put forward, and the whole point was to make reusable products accessible to those who would not usually be able to afford them.”
The committee agreed to her proposal that officers would be tasked to find a way to increase the budget for further schemes, keeping it free for participants, and a report be returned to the council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.
Read more: Belfast graffiti 'tagging' needs to be tackled, Council told
Read more: Belfast Shaftesbury Square regeneration plan to be drawn up at City Hall
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.
