July is fast approaching and the #plasticfreejuly will be trending all over social media. We will be bombarded with plastic free product adverts enticing us to buy the latest reusable or even single use products that are "plastic free" but is all as it seems?...
Well, this is something that frustrates me incredibly. I feel strongly that the consumer should not be miss led about the contents of the products they buy and so I felt it important to write this blog post. I hope that this will help you with your journey in to becoming zero waste, help you understand the products you use better and not become a victim of Green Washing.
Many people are being led to believe that cloth pads and period pants are plastic free, but I am going to be straight here and say generally they are not, including my own Lady Days products. I know right, confusing isn't it, because there are so many adverts saying otherwise.
The plastics can be found in some of the fabrics used for making cloth pads and period pants and in the poppers. For e.g. Lady Days period pants are 95% natural fibres however they contain either a fleece layer which is polyester (essentially plastic) or a PUL layer which stands for polyurethane laminate (a plastic waterproofing material). There are period pants on the market that are mainly made from nylon which is a thermoplastic, they have PUL layer in them and essentially contain 95% plastic yet they are being advertised as "plastic free"
This is also happening with reusable cloth menstrual pads. This seems to be very prevalent with regards to cheap, mass produced imported pads from china. People are being miss led about these pads and told that they are plastic free. There is a small minority out there that are plastic free which is amazing but the majority are not and in the case of the cheap imports they are nearly 100% plastic. Cloth pads that contain fabrics such as microfleece, microfiber, PUL and polyester fleece all contain plastic and lets not forget the little plastic poppers that close the wings are also plastic resin.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against products made of these man made fabrics. Although I use natural and organic fibres as much as possible, I do use some of these fabrics such as polyester fleece (windpro) and PUL to make Lady Days products. Why? because they are perfect for the job they are required to do. Fleece and PUL are water resistant or water proof whereas natural and absorbing fabrics are not. A water resistant layer is required for performance to prevent any leaking. Reusable products are the way forward and we need to understand that not all plastics are evil and that some plastics play a huge roll in reducing waste created from single use plastics.
Great quality reusable cloth menstrual pads like Lady Days will last for 10 years plus compared to their single use counterpart that's in the bin after just one use. That is a huge reduction in plastic waste being sent to landfill. Also, when a cloth pad has reached the end of its life, it can be recycled with fabric/textile waste so no need for them to reach landfill at all.
What I am against is people being miss led by the false advertisement of products and companies not being transparent about what is in their products. Advertising products as plastic free when they are not, all in the name of profits. As a company manufacturing and selling ethical products, I feel it is very important to advertise and inform people about my products in an ethical manor.
I love this mantra from Plastic Free July "choose to refuse single use plastic" and would encourage everyone to check out their website. Their website is full of information and resources to help you make good informed choices on your journey into Zero Waste and reducing your use of single use plastics.
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Why? All in the name of science and I was curious.
I put my pants on yesterday after my shower. They are the night pad and new so the zorb hasn’t been activated from washing yet. They are a new pair of the Mulberry organic period pants in the high waisted brief style.
I had a beautifully comfortable nights sleep in them as normal but the high waist is new for me and it’s a game changer
I woke this morning at around 6:30 really wanting to put something fresh on but I was committed and stuck with them.
I had an eye appointment at 9:10 which I ended up having to run for as traffic was terrible. I have to say, after leaving my appointment I really wanted a fresh pad. I’d been wearing my pants for about 15hrs by now, sat in an optician chair for what felt like hrs and my butt decided it was irritated…que me doing strange walking down the main street in town trying not to be obvious, but really wanting to scratch
Thankfully it wore off.
I then met up with husband and we did some shopping, had some lunch and shopped some more.
So I’ve been really active all day and couldn’t wait to get in the shower. I removed my pants and I’m super impressed!
There is a tiny bit of wicking on the left which feels dry to the touch and I didn’t have any marks on my leggings. I am a moderate bleeder and have bled directly down over the 24hrs of wearing them so the back of the pad is not touched. My period pants are designed for moderate use for up to 8hrs. The night pants offer more coverage at the back and a little extra absorbency to last the night.
My conclusion;
I MAKE AMAZING PANTS!!
I never once felt worried that they would let me down.
It’s not something I want to repeat as I like to change regularly for freshness and I felt that by the end of the 24hrs there was that “period smell” Although my husband thought I was imagining it as he couldn’t smell anything.
I feel confident that if anything ever happens that prevents me from being able change, my pants have my back.
I am now enjoying a fresh pair of pants
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Ok, this is a though one for me. I love to make so many things and picking just one is impossible.
I really love creating your custom orders. Your choices of fabrics and designs are always so different it puts great variety in my day.
I love making the luxe style pads as these are fully made by hand without the use the embroidery machine and takes me back to where it all started. I use the embroidery machine now for most of the pads as it’s better for my hands and reduces RSI.
And finally, I absolutely adore making Baby Days items. The tiny sizing can be tricky and challenging but they are so worth it. The cuteness is just unbearable ☺️
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Here is a lovely close up of my Baby Days products. I absolutely love the binding on the neck and cuffs of this baby top.
This is my beautiful baby model Charlie. They are the perfect little bundle at making my baby clothes look so comfy. But there’s something about Charlie...has anyone noticed before?
You maybe able to spot it on this close up 🧐Or you may not.
Anyone notice that Charlie doesn’t seem to get any bigger 🤔
Charlie is in fact, not a real baby 😲 I know, it’s hard to believe isn’t it but nope, Charlie is in fact a doll.
Charlie is a hand painted reborn baby doll. Hand painted in Cornwall by an amazing artist called Gilly. They are the perfect model for Baby Days as they will stay the same newborn size forever. Charlie is so life like it’s insane, they are weighted in their body and limbs so their body poses just like a newborn. They actually weigh 5lb 14oz and can even hold a dummy.
Did you spot it?
Watch out for more of Charlie over the summer.
Here are some close ups of our binding process at different stages.
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#MarchMeetTheMaker
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So I thought this year I would join in with #MarchMeetTheMaker
So here goes, here’s my little story.
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I’ve always been creative really. Art was the only the class that really engaged my interest at school. Although I went to college to do art, it never really worked for me and I ended up moving around a few courses. I actually started a mechanics apprenticeship but left college with a child care and education certificate. Yet I fell into retail management as an adult member of the work force.
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I had been using reusables since the birth of my son 22yrs ago, 🙈 oh my god was it really 22yrs ago 😳 Around 10/11yrs ago I was really struggling to find nice new reusables but it was so hard. Online shopping wasn’t what it is today. I’d been using very basic pads I’d made for years but thought I really needed to up my game. Having created something nicer, a friend asked me for some for her daughter. She was loving them and it was then I realised that other people could be interested in switching to cloth and reap the benefits too.
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8 yrs ago things weren’t going so well for my autistic son at school and it was then that I realised I needed to be at home more for him. Working full time in retail was no longer working for our family so I made the decision to leave retail and start Lady Days. This was the perfect step forward for us. I can work around pick up and drop off and my son is doing so well now. I’m so proud of his hard work. He’s even made pads for me. I hope one day when he finishes his education he will have a roll in Lady Days.
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Here is a picture of my son making a pad. I’m sure you will agree he has amazing sewing skills 😊❤️ and it’s all thanks to him that Lady Days was started.
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