[Trainer] This is eco-friendly period product training. In the training, we'll cover information about the impact of period products. We'll look at the five main types of eco period products, how to register interest for a funded place on a two hour training session with Rethink Periods, and how to apply for a grant from Stockport Council so that you can provide eco-friendly period products in your school or college. This bit of training and the grants have come about because of the School's Climate Assembly that we ran in June 2022. As part of that project, young people came up with climate action ideas that they wanted the council to tackle, and they voted to support a climate action to make eco-friendly, biodegradable and reusable period products more affordable and accessible in schools. I'm going to show you a video now to share what happened during that Schools Climate Assembly project. [Video] Within Stockport, our climate is below standards and will only get worse if we do not make it easier and safer to walk and cycle to and from school or work. Climate action is vital and important, because actions not taken quickly will be dooming future generations to our planet, which is slowly being destroyed. We found that the main benefit of going solar are reduced energy bills. Schools committed significant savings on their electricity bills. Solar panels can generate electricity for 25 years or more. Another benefit is that insulation can reduce the cost of heating and cooling by 40% which means it can often pay for itself within six years. We are positive it is necessary to tackle climate change by pushing the widespread awareness and the use of reusable period products. 10 to 12 reusable sanitary pads are the equivalent to 11,000 disposable products. Each year, these single-use plastic products would either end up in landfill or within our already-endangered oceans. This problem affects most in our society: sisters, wives, daughters and mums all use these products every four weeks, products that are not recycled and leave behind millions of tonnes of waste every year. We created our own classroom display about caring for our environment using old plastic bags, which we have here. We are all in agreement that all the climate actions being shared in this room today are amazing and will have an impact in making the world a better place. I hereby declare "Make eco-friendly, biodegradable or reusable period products more affordable in schools" is the winning idea. I know several Councillors from different political parties have been here all morning listening to your discussions, and they've all said to me how impressed they've been by your commitment, the dedication and the enthusiasm that you've put across. The world is worried about climate change. Everyone, young or old, from Sir David Attenborough down to the, as we can see, all the school children, are all of the same mind: something's got to be done. And it's got to start local, at home. I think it's really important for us to listen to young people. It's young people which are going to be affected for longer, in our decisions that we're making on on climate change and how we deal with climate change. And they've also got some fantastic ideas. They've got really great ideas, so we should be listening to them. [Trainer] In response to that winning idea, we've developed this training and we're providing grants to support education settings to provide eco-friendly period products. So to start, a period product is something that absorbs or collects the blood that is released during a period. The products readily available in shops are tampons and pads that are typically made from plastic, are single-use, and usually aren't biodegradable. Period products impact on health and wellbeing, on finances and on the environment, and we're going to look at these impacts now. Lack of access to period products is a serious issue that negatively affects the lives of girls and people who menstruate. According to Plan International, lack of proper education around periods, the stigma and shame around menstruation, and the cost of period products all form part of a toxic trio of issues fuelling period poverty in the UK. 25% of girls in the UK can't afford or struggle to afford period products. 12% have had to use makeshift period products because they struggle to afford menstrual products. And 137,700 10 to 18 year olds have missed school due to period inequality. Looking at the environmental aspect now, how many tonnes of period product waste do you think are thrown away in the UK every year? It's 200,000 tonnes. And how long do you think it takes a period pad to decompose? It's around 500 to 800 years. This is because period pads are manufactured using materials like super absorbent polymers, non-biodegradable plastic, and glue. And how many period products do you think someone uses in a lifetime? It's around 11,000. Everyone who menstruates is estimated to have around 500 periods during their lifetime, which uses an average of 11,000 disposable period products. Many of these end up in landfills or in waste processing, or worse, in our oceans. So when this waste doesn't end up in landfill or waste processing, it can end up in our oceans or be washed up on our shores. Period products are the fifth most common single-use plastic items found on Europe's beaches, they're present in greater numbers than both plastic bags and straws. So we probably know we're not supposed to flush period products, But the Marine Conservation Society has found that up to two billion menstrual items go down Britain's toilets every year. Not only does this block sewage systems, but it means these items end up in the sea and on beaches. The Marine Conservation Society found 4.8 pieces of menstrual waste per 100 metres of beach cleaned. So what are period products made of? Manufacturers aren't legally required to list the materials used in period products on their packaging. According to the Women's Environment Network, a typical period product can be about 90% plastic, namely made from things like polyethene, polypropylene and polyester, those super-absorbent polymers and non-biodegradable plastics. And there's also glue in there as well. So this amount of plastic is equivalent to four plastic shopping bags in just one period pad. So over a lifetime it equates to 44,000 plastic bags worth of waste. And what eco-friendly options are there out there? So increasingly, there are a number of eco-friendly period products and brands available, and these products aim to be more sustainable and environment environmentally friendly in one of two ways. The first way is by avoiding plastic and using alternative materials like organic cotton, bamboo and paper, which are better for the environment. The second option is products that are reusable, and so they reduce overall waste, which is better for both the environment and climate change. So we're going to talk through some of the different eco-friendly products that are available now. So biodegradable pads and tampons, these products are a like-for-like swap with other pads and tampons. They're used in the same way, with pads being external and tampons internal, and they come in the usual range of styles and absorbencies. These products are still single use, but they are biodegradable when you do get rid of them, and so you would just put them in the sanitary bin after use. So these products are more sustainable, more environmentally-friendly because they avoid using plastic. They're made from materials such as hemp, bamboo and cotton, and on the packaging they'll often state whether they are biodegradable, hypoallergenic and antibacterial. There are a little bit more expensive than the single-use plastic option, and so these biodegradable versions will cost around £3 to £5 a month. Period pants are absorbent underwear that you wash and reuse. They come in a range of styles and absorbencies, and they're worn as underwear. So for one period, five pairs of period pants might typically be needed. Some people like to wear them in conjunction with an additional absorbent pad, which means you have to change the pants less often. This isn't necessary for most people, but it can be an option for people who are worried about leakage or who have particularly heavy periods. To care for the this product, most brands recommend that you rinse the pants with cold water or soak them, and then you add them to your normal machine wash at 30 degrees or lower, and you can put them in a laundry bag and then you just hang dry them, so you don't tumble dry these. In terms of materials, different brands use different materials, but it's often that they will be made from bamboo, from cotton, sometimes from Merino wool. There's a range of brands available, costing anywhere from £10 up to £31 for one pair. And they will last you 2 to 3 years if you wash and care for those properly. A reusable cloth period pad is a like-for-like swap with a single-use period pad, except that this version is reusable, so it needs to be washed between uses. They come in a range of sizes, absorbancies, and styles, and typically two or three pads per day will be needed. There are loads of commercial versions of this product available, and they will usually come with a dry bag to store folded-up clean dry pads. When in use, the press studs clip around underwear to help hold it in place. It's recommended that pads are changed every 4 to 6 hours, and then after use the pads fold up, clip shut, and then you store them in a little water proof bag until you get home. To clean these, the general guidance is to rinse or soak them in cold water before putting them in the washing machine on a long cycle of 30 degrees or less. And it's absolutely fine to wash them along with the rest of your laundry, or you can hand wash them. It's recommended that you let these air dry, so again, don't tumble dry these. Typically, these reusable cloth period pads are made from multiple layers of natural absorbent and waterproof fabrics. Commercially bought, you can get a pack of these for anywhere from about £25 up to about £50 and they will last you about 2 to 5 years. With a bit of sewing skill, these reusable cloth period pads can be made yourself. There are lots of sewing patterns and activity sheets available online with instructions for how to make them. Some things to consider are the absorbency of the fabric you use, you need to think about if you're using natural material, waterproof fabric, absorbent fabric, and think about the number of those layers. You also need to think about having a little bag for carrying the dry, clean pads and a waterproof bag for storing used pads until you get home. A reusable tampon applicator is designed to minimise plastic waste from periods. So every year in the UK we throw 1.3 billion applicators away. So this product is an alternative to the single-use applicator products that are available. So for this product, you would buy any size or brand of tampon and use the applicator to insert it. To use it, you would use your brand of tampon. You would insert that into the applicator, insert the applicator into the vagina, gently push the plunger to move the tampon and then remove the applicator. After each use you'd rinse it under a cold tap, wipe it with tissue to make sure it's completely dry and then, in between uses, keep the lid on and store in a dry place. Typically, these reusable applicators are made from medical grade plastic, such as Mediprene. They cost from about £10 to £25 and will last you up to 10 years. The final product to share is a menstrual cup. So a menstrual cup is inserted into the vagina and catches period blood. To use it, so when you're removing the cup, with clean hands, gently squeeze the bottom of the cup to release the seal and then slide the cup out. There shouldn't be any tension when removing the cup. You empty the contents into the toilet, wash the cup or wipe it with tissue, fold, and reinsert. It's recommended to empty the cup every 4 to 8 hours, depending on your flow. The cup must be washed with water during your period and then sterilised in boiling water at the end of a period before you store it. Most menstrual cups are made from medical-grade silicon. Some are made from latex or TPE, so if you have a latex allergy, it's something that you would need to consider, to make sure you choose a silicon one. They cost around £20 and will last up to up to 10 years. This product is typically more suitable for an older age group because some people find it a bit difficult to use, and there's considerations around if you're going to be, say, in school, and you might not have access to a sink to clean the menstrual cup in between use. However, some people do find this product actually helps reduce discomfort and pain during their period. So if using a cup does suit somebody, this is a really good option because it's long lasting and it's the biggest cost-saving of the more eco-friendly period product options. This is a bit of a summary for you of the different types of period products that we've spoken through. Please note this is a summary based on products found through desk based research in the summer of 2022. The types and costs of products available will undoubtedly change. So to get the grant from Stockport Council. All schools and colleges in Stockport are eligible for a grant via the Stockport CAN Fund to help you transition from providing single use plastic period products and to transition over to providing more eco-friendly period products. So an easy swap is to those biodegradable non-plastic pads and tampons, a really easy swap across. But where suitable, you might be able to offer some of the reusable products out to specific students. The amount a setting will receive will be based on a base amount of £100 for primary schools, £250 for secondary or SEND and £500 for a college. An additional amount of £10 per female pupil over the age of eight who is eligible for free school meals, free college meals or has a college bursary. Please note this is intended to target grant funding where there is more need. It's not intended that the grant would only be spent on pupils who are eligible for free school meals or bursary students. If you have any students who are over the age of eight who menstruate but don't identify as female, please include them. There will also be a maximum amount of £1000 per setting, and the funds will be available on a first-come first-served basis, up to a total of £60,000. To apply, schools and colleges need to email stockportCANfund@stockport.gov.uk with the name of your school and its address, and just stating the number of female pupils over the age of eight who qualify for free school meals or college bursary support. Alongside this, we wanted to offer some further training. So this has been a quick introduction to some of the impacts of period products and some eco-friendly period product considerations. But we're linking up with City to Sea to offer a more in-depth training session through their award-winning Rethink Periods. So through this, you will get a two-hour online session with City to Sea and alongside other teachers. If you take part in that training, you'll receive a demo box of products and you'll get access to teaching resources. Those resources will only be available to people who do this additional training with City to Sea. So if you're interested in that further training, please register using the form that's shown on screen here, so that link is up on screen, it will also have been emailed along with the training. If you can't access that original email that the training came through, please just get in touch with us. So you can contact stockportCANfund@stockport.gov.uk to request the grant and also to request a link to that further training. If you have any general Council inquiries about Climate Action Now, about how you and your school or college could get involved, please get in touch with us at stockportCAN@stockport.gov.uk.