A gender neutral, environmentally-friendly way to carry tampons in a purse or pocket. The recyclable box protects the wrappers from being removed by the friction of daily movement.

How are tampon absorbencies represented visually? The FDA regulates testing and labeling of tampon absorbency, but different brands have different color schemes, sometimes even varying between product lines.

I created this chart to help me visually analyze the color schemes of ten product lines across eight brands of commercially available tampons.

I started this project simply as a person who uses tampons. My research took me to places I did not expect. Here are a few of the things I learned:

  • The FDA test for tampon absorbency involves a setup that includes a condom pulled taut between two ends of a glass or hard plastic chamber and secured with rubber bands.¹

  • Tampon applicators were created because people were afraid that women might derive sexual pleasure from inadvertent contact with their genitals.²

line drawing of 3 tampons. the first is still in its wrapper, the second is unwrapped but in the plastic applicator, and the third is out of the applicator.

Tampons and other menstrual products often contain a lot of plastic. This plastic ends up in landfills (when properly disposed of) or on beaches (when flushed for purposes of discreetness).³

The original disposable tampon applicator was made of cardboard. Advances in plastics technology eventually resulted in the prevalence of single-use plastic applicators.⁴

The wrapper and the applicator are both plastic. There is often plastic in the tampon itself. All of it gets thrown away after a single use.

line drawing of one of those tampons that you pull the applicator out and then push it but not the fancy ones by kotex or tampax

Some plastic applicators are extendable, which reduces the length of the packaged tampon by about half. These smaller tampons are more compact and easier to fit in a pocket or purse than other tampons that come with applicators.

Cardboard applicators avoid the problem of single-use plastic, but do not work in this compact form.

line drawing of a digital tampon

Common in Europe, digital tampons are inserted without the use of an applicator.⁴ They are typically wrapped in plastic, but paper-wrapped alternatives are available.⁵

Digital tampons with paper wrappers present a way to completely eliminate plastic from tampons and their packaging.

flattened box design, 2 parts. one folds into an open box and the other folds into a rectangular prism with both the sides missing (like a matchbox sleeve)

The box design is small and sturdy— perfect for a pocket or handbag.

Its rigid design protects the tampons inside, allowing for a paper wrapper that might otherwise come off when placed loose in a backpack or purse.

Every part of this package can be recycled.

front view of matchbox-style box, closed
top view of matchbox-style box, open slightly
top view of matchbox-style box, about halfway open
absorbency chart with color scale
light absorbency wrapper. it has yellow horizontal stripes and staggered circles with the letter "L"
Regular absorbency wrapper. Green diagonal stripes of varying widths and staggered circles with the letter "R"
Super absorbency wrapper. It has a bright blue background with light blue polka dots and staggered circles with the letter "S"
Super plus absorbency wrapper. Dark blue with horizontal lines of varying thickness. Some of the lines have circles on them, and the "S+" is periodically integrated into these lines of circles.
Ultra absorbency wrapper. Purple fish scale pattern with staggered circles that read "U"

The box sleeves and wrappers for individual tampons utilize the absorbency color scheme for quick identification.

Box sleeve design for light absorbency tampons.
Box sleeve design for regular absorbency tampons.
Box sleeve design for super absorbency tampons.
Box sleeve design for super-plus absorbency tampons.
Box sleeve design for ultra absorbency tampons.
color rendering of box with drawer extended. the sleeve is for regular absorbency tampons but the box is empty.

Sources:

1. Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21, Volume 8. 21CFR801.430. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=801.430

2. Horwitz, Rainey, "Menstrual Tampon". Embryo Project Encyclopedia (2020-05-25). ISSN: 1940-5030 http://embryo.asu.edu/handle/10776/13151.

3. Raman-Wilms, Menaka. “Why Some Environmentalists Are Pushing for an End to Plastic Tampon Applicators”. CBCnews, November 8, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/why-some-environmentalists-are-pushing-for-an-end-to-plastic-tampon-applicators-1.5788186.

4. Borunda, Alejandra. “How Tampons and Pads Became so Unsustainable.” National Geographic, September 6, 2019. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/how-tampons-pads-became-unsustainable-story-of-plastic.

5. The Grace & Green Team. “Non-Applicator Tampons Wrapped in Recycled Compostable Paper.” Grace & Green, July 18, 2020. https://graceandgreen.co/green-is-the-new-black/weve-cut-the-plastic-wrap-non-applicator-tampons-wrapped-in-recycled-compostable-paper/.