How Green Would You Go During 'That Time of the Month'?

I consider myself a fairly green individual. I do what I can to minimize my impact on the earth. I drive a Prius, carry reusable shopping bags, cook vegetarian meals for my family, and am not afraid to buy secondhand.

But I've just come across a green idea that stopped me dead in my tracks.

Over at TruthDig.com, Eunice Wong asks, "Would you consider reusable menstrual items?" and reveals these startling statistics:

There are 85 million women of menstruating age in North America....[T]he average woman disposes of between 10,000 and 15,000 tampons, pads and applicators in her lifetime....about 250 to 300 pounds of waste per woman.

In 1999, about 2.5 million tampons, 1.4 million pads, and 700,000 pantiliners were flushed away daily....13.5 billion pads and 6.5 billion tampons, plus their packaging, ended up in landfills or sewage systems in 1998. In the United States and Canada alone, more than 12 billion pads and tampons are tossed annually....

The Ocean Conservancy collected and cataloged debris along U.S. coastlines between 2001 and 2006, finding that tampon applicators made up 2.2 percent of the total debris field, more than syringes, condoms and plastic six-pack rings combined.

Wong presents green alternatives to disposable 'feminine protection' including "washable cloth pads and pantiliners....[which] come in a wide variety of funky patterns and materials, from hemp to organic French terry cotton to microfleece."

That I think I could do. After all, I diapered both my babies in cloth.

But it's the next item that gave me pause - the menstrual cup. Made of medical-grade silicone, its use is best left up to Wong to describe. But I can comfortably share why she believes it can change the world:

This is one decision you can make that will have an immediate impact on the environment. You may not be able to afford solar panels or a biodiesel vehicle. Maybe you’re not ready for a compost toilet. But you can do this.

I'll be totally honest -- I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at a very young age, right after the birth of my two daughters; I had a hysterectomy and chemotherapy back then. 'That time of the month' hasn't been an issue for me for 15 years.

So when Wong says, "You can do this," I can only speculate as to what my real and honest gut reaction would be.

Could I do this?

"Maybe" is my answer to the washable items. But the menstrual cup? "Hmmmm" is all I can say. That's one bridge I'm thankful I no longer have to cross. So I don't have a solid response either way.

How about you? Take the poll: