Lead supervisor:
Dr Sara Macbride-Stewart 
Start date: October 2019
Award: General
Subject Pathway:
Sociology / Science and Technology Studies
Thematic Cluster:
Society and Well-Being Cluster
Period poverty, period products, sustainability and environment
Personal period products, period poverty, and the future of the environment
Period product waste has a huge impact on the environment with 2.5 million tampons, 1.4 million menstrual pads flushed into the UK waterways every day, causing strain on sewage systems and increasing beach pollution. Concurrently, economic inequality limiting access to period products is increasingly concerning.
There is a lack of awareness about personal care product environmental impact, and social norms surrounding which menstrual management products should be used. This project will examine the socioeconomic and environmental reasons for using these products, and explore the economic, social and environmental inequalities in the promotion of menstrual cups as a safer, more sustainable way of managing menstruation.