On Apr. 21, the Environmental Health Fair was held featuring local and campus resources for promoting a healthier environment. The WELL helped organize the event in honor of Earth Day, on Apr. 22.
Booths featured painting your own pot with native wildflower seeds included, creating a room deodorizing bag using coffee grounds, as well as education on ‘Leave No Trace’ and education on the sustainability of period products.
Karina Kpahn, a fourth-year public health major and the president of the Reproductive Justice Club, had a booth at the event. She was motivated to talk about the intersection between periods, the environment, and the stigma that comes with periods.
Disposable tampons can contain up to 6% plastic, excluding any applicators, and pads can contain up to 90% plastic. On average, a menstruating person uses 11,000 disposable pads and tampons over their lifetime. The plastic waste adds up. One alternative Kpahn introduced a greener solution, even giving some away for free: menstrual cups.
Most menstrual cups are made of 100% medical grade silicone, along with rubber, latex and elastomer options. The cups are reusable and lead to significantly less plastic waste. However, the price causes pause for many.
“A lot of times the greener solutions are a lot more expensive, or they have a higher cost up front. A lot of people were like, ‘I really wanted to try [menstrual cups], but it’s $30. When it’s $8 for a whole thing of pads. I’d rather pay the $8 than the $30.’” Kpahn said.
This trend extends beyond period products, with the more environmentally friendly option being more expensive than the alternative. Reusable water bottles can be upwards of $30, while a 24 pack of disposable plastic water bottles costs under $5. Kpahn recognized that people need to be realistic when deciding what environmentally conscience changes they can make.
“So just looking at your own life and seeing what you can switch out, what you can’t switch out, what you can’t afford and what you can. Taking the time to look into companies and saying, like ‘oh, just because it says eco-friendly, doesn’t always mean it’s eco-friendly.’ Being sustainable, it’s a lot of work.” Kpahn said.
Another booth taught about the seven principles of Leave No Trace. Phil Dombroski, an assistant professor in recreation, tourism and therapeutic recreation department, brought a booth covered in outdoor gear and garbage marked with numbers corresponding to the seven principles: Plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and be considerate of others.
“I wanted to show that the Leave No Trace principles kind of transcends helping the environment, but they also connect with us and they’re good for us.” Dombroski said.
Her booth emphasized that by helping keep the environment healthy, people can enjoy and have better access to the environment. The Leave No Trace principle extends beyond hiking deep in the woods, it applies to local parks and even your own backyard. The creators of the principles continuously examine and update the principles to ensure they comply with biologists, land managers, and outdoor educators’ insights.
They emphasis that Leave No Trace is everyone’s responsibility. One person not following the principles may seem inconsequential, but thousands of people doing the same thing creates a big impact.
While the environmental health fair offered free prizes and fun activities to students, it also touched on the topic of keeping the Earth healthy so generations to come can enjoy it.
