Frome Medical Practice, alongside partners from Green and Healthy Frome, is campaigning to raise £4500 so plastic free period packs can be given to all Frome students in years 8 and 9 who need them. 

The campaign is part of the Plastic Free. Period. project, which focuses on the potential carbon saving, cost savings and health impacts for the menstruating residents of Frome, as well as people experiencing incontinence, through switching to plastic-free menstruation and incontinence products.

Charlotte Carson is the Community Sustainability Lead at Frome Medical Practice and said, "Once students start on a plastic free period journey, they are then more likely to continue with it – so please help us to raise the money needed for this exciting and innovative project.

"As well as giving out the packs, myself and Jo Morris (Resilience Officer at Frome Town Council) are visiting schools in Frome to talk to the students about moving toward being plastic free.

"Our campaign is ambitious. We hope to raise £4,500 but if it's successful it will lead to positive change."

This project is aiming to give all the young people in year 8 and year 9 who have periods an introductory period pack, with information about the products, to ensure anyone who would like to try the plastic-free products is able to access them.

One of the barriers to using plastic-free products such as period pants is the initial cost.

Period poverty, period anxiety and the taboo nature of talking about periods can also lead to many social disadvantages and be a barrier to education for some.

Project Champion, Fiona Barrows said, "There are so many reasons to switch to plastic free period products, but the stigma around periods is still a big barrier, as is the upfront cost of products.

"The more we can normalise and engage with our body and its needs, whilst thinking about the impact our choices have on our planet, the more we can break down these barriers.

"If we can raise the money to give every year 8 and 9 student that needs them a celebration pack, that will go a long way to support those choices as well. This is an opportunity for you to support a young person in Frome to make the switch."

Period poverty and climate change affect women and girls throughout the world. The campaign is not seeking to target anyone who is not able to use these products for any reason. The aim is to enable an environment where positive change is supported. Along with the period packs a booklet has also been produced that can help support young people into thinking about their period in a positive way.

Some facts and figures linked to the Plastic Free. Period. campaign are:

• On average, a year's worth of a typical period product impacts on climate with a carbon footprint of 5.3kg CO2 equivalent. For the population of Frome that could mean a whopping 72,000kg of CO2e per year. 
• The average person, who hasn't yet made the switch to plastic free period products, throws away up to 200kg of period products in their lifetime. With estimates that period products are made of 90% plastic, that's a lot of plastic being added to landfill, not to mention the amount of period waste that makes its way into our waterways.
• And then there's the financial cost – each period costs on average £10, that's £130 a year and nearly £5,000 over a whole lifetime.
• Add to that the cost of landfill - during those 450 periods, the average woman uses between 12,000 and 15,000 pads, tampons, and panty liners.

Vic Yerbury is a Practice Nurse at Frome Medical Practice, and helps run the Young Person's Clinic there. "It's a win/win. If we can successfully raise our target we can really make a difference to the conversation around periods for over 300 students.

"We will be able to encourage wellbeing, helping students by addressing period poverty, supporting them through period anxiety and also do our bit to help students to make sustainable choices – saving potentially thousands of sanitary products from landfill. With your help we can get the introductory period packs into schools and really make a difference to our young people."

You can donate to the campaign online at www.bit.ly/plastic-free-first or in person at Frome Town Hall.

Plastic Free. Period. is a part of Green and Healthy Frome - a partnership between Frome Medical Practice, Frome Town Council and Edventure.