Study Explores Marketing Tactics for Lower-Impact Menstrual Products

Disposable menstrual products are a less-talked-about but major contributor to global plastic pollution. A recent study investigated consumer preferences and devised guidelines to bolster adoption of more sustainable options in different markets.

Published 3 months ago | About a 4 minute read

Image: Vanessa Ramirez

Although menstrual cups (MCs) are a sustainable alternative to single-use sanitary napkins and tampons, their adoption remains quite limited for reasons that haven’t been entirely clear. So, a recent study sought to understand consumers’ preferences regarding menstrual products in various parts of the world.

Their efforts reveal that the cost-effectiveness of MCs may be their strongest selling point (according to the Mayo Clinic, the average woman spends between $50-150 per year on tampons or pads; a menstrual cup costs between $20-40 and lasts from six months to 10 years) and that promotional strategies tailored to each country could make MCs the more popular option.

In recent decades, single-use plastics have pervaded modern society — causing a significant surge in plastic pollution that exacts a heavy toll on our environment. Addressing this issue requires prioritizing sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics wherever feasible.

Disposable menstrual products are a less-talked-about but significant contributor to global plastic waste: Over 12 billion disposable menstrual-hygiene products are used and discarded every year, creating an estimated 200,000 tons of plastic waste per year. And according to the International Knowledge Hub Against Plastic Pollution, the production of single-use menstrual products — which contain plastics and associated chemicals — emits around 245,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually; and after use, most of them end up in landfills — where they can take up to 500 years to decompose.

Despite growing availability of more sustainable options such as menstrual cups, consumer preference for single-use products remains dominant across many countries. Many possible reasons for this have been reported in previous studies — such as inadequate awareness of MCs' practical and environmental benefits; preconceived notions about comfort and health impacts; and the still-pervasive issue of period poverty: One in four women of reproductive age around the world is unable to access the information and supplies needed to manage her period. However, it is not entirely clear how consumers incorporate these factors when deciding which menstrual products to purchase, which in turn makes it harder to devise effective promotional campaigns for MCs.

To address this knowledge gap, an international research team from Japan’s Ritsumeikan University, Sophia University, and Research Institute for Humanity and Nature; and France’s Université de Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines set out to understand how different information on menstrual products affects the decision making of consumers in different countries. Published in June in Volume 5 of Frontiers in Sustainability, the study employed large-scale online surveys and discrete choice experiments to explore consumer decision-making across France, Japan and Indonesia — countries with diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts.

Participants of the online surveys were presented with three options for menstrual products — MCs, sanitary napkins and tampons. Different groups of participants also received different types of information regarding the products — such as their human health and environmental impact, and cost-effectiveness.

After analyzing the survey results, the researchers found that providing information about the superior cost-effectiveness of MCs was quite impactful in all three countries.

“While sanitary napkins remain the most commonly used menstrual products in the surveyed countries, our study revealed that emphasizing the economic benefits of MCs can enhance their adoption compared to health and environmental benefits information,” explained Takuro Uehara, professor at Ritsumeikan’s College of Policy Science, who led the study. “This shows that tailored information efforts emphasizing cost saving could play a crucial role in promoting the use of MCs as sustainable menstrual products.”

Tailored marketing strategies

The researchers then considered potential strategies to turn MCs into consumers’ menstrual product of choice. Suggestions include:

educational campaigns by government and non-profit organizations highlighting the long-term financial benefits of MCs over disposable products — using health professionals, companies and media outlets to spread this information
‘simplification and framing’ strategies — placing cost-per-use information near MCs at points of purchase to nudge shoppers toward more sustainable option
providing free menstrual cups — particularly, in low- and middle-income countries and areas with high period poverty — accompanied by educational efforts, to inform users about their benefits and maintenance requirements while increasing accessibility.

The research team also explored the necessity of developing tailored strategies for each country, taking into account differences in consumers and markets. For instance, in Japan, influencer marketing and educational initiatives could effectively address public apprehensions and limited knowledge about MCs. In France, marketing efforts should emphasize the ease of use, comfort and adaptability of MCs to an active lifestyle. And in Indonesia, where availability may pose a challenge, promoting locally produced MCs could boost adoption while also supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises.

These efforts will hopefully lead to better marketing and promotional strategies for MCs — increasing adoption and helping to eliminate a major source of plastic pollution.