As of November 2021, we’ll no longer be manufacturing our plastic applicator tampons and here’s why.
Undoubtedly, sustainability is high on everyone’s agenda and reducing plastic waste is a huge part of that mission. We believe that brands, manufacturers, and every one of us as individuals have a part to play in reducing our impact on the planet, and many of you called upon us to stop creating our disposable plastic applicator tampons. We did a little investigating and realised that in stopping the manufacturing of our single-use plastic applicator tampons, we could reduce period plastic waste by over 11 tonnes each year*!
Here at Lil-Lets, we believe in choosing what works for you and we know for many, tampons are the ideal solution for managing your period. For years we’ve advocated our non-applicator tampons as a way to reduce period plastic as they contain up to 96%** less plastic than our disposable plastic applicator tampons and we launched our organic, plastic-free tampon range. However, we know that for some of you, inserting a tampon without an applicator isn’t always easy or your preferred choice. That’s why we didn’t want to stop producing our single-use plastic applicator tampons until we had an alternative that was not only a more sustainable option but didn’t compromise on the same great performance and protection that you know and love us for. So, we’ve worked hard with our suppliers to create what we believe to be the future – our new, reusable tampon applicator.
With its innovative design, our reusable tampon applicator is familiar, easy to use, and cleaning between uses is as simple as washing your hands! Our new applicator has been designed with your comfort in mind, being slimline and smooth, with a rounded tip for easy insertion. It’s also got a handy lid, so you can load your tampon into the applicator without having to touch any of the insertion tube. What’s more, it’s suitable for any Lil-Lets lite to super plus tampon from either our main range or our Organic cotton tampon range, so you can refill your reusable to suit your flow.
We’re thrilled with it and we’re not the only ones, environmental activist Ella Daish said: “It’s fantastic to see a major brand like Lil-Lets really leading the change in the period industry by not only removing plastic applicators from their products, but also stepping into the reusable market with their applicator! We need more companies to follow their lead in taking steps that are better for people and the planet.”
To find out more about our new reusable applicator click here.
*Based on 2020 sales of Lil-Lets compact plastic applicator tampon ranges.
*on average 22 disposable applicators per period x 13 periods per year according to the AHPMA data in this link Menstruation Facts and Figures — AHPMA
**94-96% less plastic when comparing equivalent absorbency tampons from the Lil-Lets non-applicator range to the Lil-Lets compact plastic applicator ranges
