Comments on: How can I reuse or recycle an expired menstrual cup like the Diva Cup?

By: Laurie

Laurie — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:36:50 +0000

Well maybe if enough women start using them the companies could figure out a way to collect the old ones and recycle them into new ones. I would most defiantly use something that was heated to a melting point and remolded. I think that process would kill any type or microorganisms.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 06:40:01 +0000

I used my Diva Cup one year and the material has become soft to the point that it wont spring back into shape during use. I boiled it 20 minutes after each cycle as I was told to do do. So I bought another one.

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:52:28 +0000

I agree that it is wasteful to throw things away when they have outlived their first use, but I’m not too concerned about a small piece of silicone that replaced years of disposable pad use. Or tampons. Or even cloth pads. If you are using a cup, you are already diverting a huge amount of trash from the waste stream.

By: Elouise

Elouise — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:14:20 +0000

The mooncup website recommends that you boil it once a month. I do that, but I also soak it for a couple of hours sometimes in water with a teaspoon of bleach or Dettol. This removes odours that sometimes remain. I’ve used my for six years and don’t see any problem in carrying on using it. It works just fine and the function/elasticity of the silicone hasn’t changed.

By: Rebekah

Rebekah — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:44:50 +0000

Sorry- that should read “it could be sent.” phone keypads cause me all kinds of trouble!

By: Rebekah

Rebekah — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:57:07 +0000

Every year?!? I’m sorry but I have to say this seems much more like one of those things companies recommend in order to multiply sales. These cups will last for a decade with proper care. That’s one of the prime reasons why they beat the pants off tampons. Just boil it in a pot of water for ten minutes between periods.

If you really don’t want it anymore you might be able to give it away by convincing someone you’ve boiled it and they can to the same.

Although probably less likely to accept for health reasons, there is at least one NPO that accepts handmade cloth sanitary napkins for donation to girls in Africa (goods4girls). This allows girls to attend school who otherwise don’t have access to disposables.

Or for actual recycling, I imagine I could be ant to Dreamscapes, a company that recycles sextoys. They deal in (potentially) “unclean” oddly shaped silicone all the time.

By: marilyn

marilyn — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:53:10 +0000

Hello, I really liked the idea of what you are doing here and would like to feature this in our web site and wanted to ask you if this would be ok. I look forward to hearing from you.

By: Justlovely5

Justlovely5 — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:31:06 +0000

Sorry – you can’t do it ALL. I recycle SO much – I drive my family nuts. THIS is one I personally would pass on. Thank GOD for free will.

BTW – I also removed “shoulds” from my vocabulary.. too many disappointments! LOL

By: ecomonster

ecomonster — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 02:47:42 +0000

lol.

By: jane

jane — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:47:14 +0000

mine said 10yrs if properly cleaned. not one year.
shot glasses anyone? KIDDING EEWWWW. haha.
seriously though i got nothing. they seem tossable.

By: mcw

mcw — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 06:31:56 +0000

recycling everything should be at the top of your everyones list!

best of luck finding a way to recycle it, i wish i knew of some way myself.

By: Justlovely5

Justlovely5 — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:29:37 +0000

I just wouldn’t. There are SO many things to recycle.. this would not be at the top of my list.

By: tinpan

tinpan — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:31:00 +0000

I’ve got a mooncup which I’ve been using for several years. I remember that when I bought it I got a leaflet saying I could use it for up to 10 years if it was properly cleaned (including boiling it out regularly).

By: louisa

louisa — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:27:11 +0000

Sorry, I used the DivaCup’s guidelines to apply to all cups.

The DivaCup site says a year (http://www.divacup.com/en/home/faqs/) but the Mooncup site says “with proper care, it will last several years”.

There is obviously a difference about when companies have to say things need to be replaced/used up by, and when they actually do though.

By: blackic

blackic — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:49:29 +0000

Huh? I’ve never heard that cups should be replaced after a year – the mooncup site says they will last “several years”…