Hey Girls are a Social Enterprise, based in Scotland, and they are committed to fighting period poverty in the UK one plastic-free pad, cup, tampon, and pants at a time!
- Box of 16
- Buy One Give One organic non-applicator tampons
- 100% certified organic cotton
- Organic cotton cord
- Smooth and gently rounded end
- Expands width-wise to fit you perfectly
- Fully bio-degradable
- Recyclable box
Why We Love Them
Have a plastic-free period with these eco disposable organic cotton tampons! We understand that reusable products are not for everyone, so we love that Hey Girls have made some plastic-free disposable options too - they have a product to suit all situations.
The fabulous products from Hey Girls are not only better for the environment, but they are also better for your health. And not only that! The 'Buy One Give One' scheme means your purchase is helping to end period poverty for someone in need, right here in the UK.
Disposable period products account for 200,000 tonnes of waste per year, with 1.5 – 2 billion period products flushed down the toilet annually. Commercial pads and tampons contain up to 90% plastic, meaning they will take centuries to biodegrade. Hey Girls work closely with manufacturers to ensure all their products are sustainable. In 2019, Hey Girls developed a range of Applicator Tampons with sugar-cane bio-based applicators. In addition to their sustainable disposable products, Hey Girls also makes reusable period products – menstrual cups and reusable pads. These products have a typical life of 5-10 years, reducing waste and also supporting their goals to end period poverty as one purchase (or donation) lasts for several years.
In an industry that has never been required to disclose its product’s ingredients or test their safety, Hey Girls knew that there was a better way to communicate with their customers: a commitment to health and transparency. So every Hey Girls product is made with pure, ethically sourced ingredients. When you buy from Hey Girls, you are not only protecting your own health, but also the health of the amazing workers’ that made your products, their human rights, and our global environment.
The Brand
HEY GIRLS
"OUR JOURNEY
At Hey Girls we know that you girls and young women are all powerful individuals, care about your health, are passionate about the environment and want to make a difference.
That’s why we girls created Hey Girls – to offer you a no leak, super comfy, chlorine and bleach free, environmentally friendly product that tackles period poverty in the UK. How? Well that’s simple – all the profits from our Buy One Give One products go directly to help girls and young women in need – no fat cat shareholders taking a payout. So that means for every box you buy we give a box away- yep just that straightforward.
Hey Girls was founded by myself and my daughters Becky and Kate, with the philosophy that girls and young women should never have to compromise their wellbeing or their health. Having been a single parent I understand firsthand the financial strain of buying period protection when struggling to survive on benefits. The situation for women just like me hasn’t changed in twenty years, which is why we set-up Hey Girls.
We seek to enrich the lives of girls and young women in the UK by exercising social and ethical responsibility in every aspect of our work—from where we source our products through to our supply chain, and the way we run our social business.
THE PROBLEM OF PERIOD POVERTY
In 2019, there were around 14 million people in Britain living in poverty. Here at Hey Girls we know that poverty affects people in many different ways – if you’re someone who has periods every month, chances are you may experience period poverty.
Period products are a necessity, but they are expensive. Tight budgets can leave people forced to prioritise other purchases, leaving them without the right period products, without enough period products, or without any period products at all. We’ve heard stories of women forced to use socks, newspaper, toilet roll, or even bread to absorb their period. Many will miss out on school or work, or struggle to concentrate fully.
The fact that period poverty affects women in the UK shocks many people. The problem is more hidden than in other countries, but that doesn’t make it less real. In 2018, Plan International UK research found that period poverty affects 1 in 10 schoolgirls across the UK. In Scotland, the number is thought to be closer to 1 in 4. More research is needed to understand exactly what is happening, but period poverty is definitely a real problem for many people.
As a society, we treat periods as very shameful – something that must be kept secret. Bleeding through your clothes is embarrassing. Buying tampons is embarrassing. Asking for tampons can be embarrassing. This can make the experience of period poverty more difficult and more isolating than other forms of poverty.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Since 2015, campaigns to address period poverty have gained momentum, and UK governments are now stepping in to solve the problem. Since August 2018, all schools, colleges, and universities in Scotland have had funding to provide free products for all students. The Scottish Government is also supporting communities by funding free products for charities (distributed through FareShare) and providing funding for free products in all public buildings (libraries, community centres etc.).
In March 2019, the Welsh Government announced plans to fund free period products in all schools, and in January 2020 the Department for Education in England launched its free provision. Many colleges and universities across the UK are funding free products through student union or equalities budgets.
WHY PROVIDING FREE PERIOD PRODUCTS IS IMPORTANT
Increasing access to period products is really important. Free products can keep young people in school, improve concentration, encourage participation in sport, and support good health. They prevent people having to make dehumanising choices – to wear the wrong product, or a worse quality product, or to wear a product for longer than is hygienic or safe. At Hey Girls we believe that access to period products is a right, not a privilege. No one should have to choose between bleeding on their trousers and eating lunch.
Free products not only help end period poverty, they promote equality. It is overwhelmingly women and girls who have to bear the cost for a biological process that they cannot control.
As well as supporting young people on low-incomes, free period products give peace of mind to everyone who has periods. The knowledge that products are there in case you forget them, or start unexpectedly, can be very reassuring. Providing free products ensures all people can menstruate with dignity."