Sustainability
Our approach to sustainability
Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword – it’s the key to the survival of our planet. Global warming is one of the most serious problems in the world today, and Essity, the company that produces intimawear by Bodyform®, is committed to finding socially and environmentally sound solutions, and to producing safe products. At Bodyform, we’re proud to be manufacturing and developing our products in a sustainable way. As a company, we’ve always been conscious of protecting our planet and its resources. From what we source, to how we produce, to what we deliver to our consumers.
The provenance of our products
Responsible sourcing really matters to us and we’re always looking at ways to reduce the environmental impact of new products, through smart design and materials. Showing consideration for nature has always been of the utmost importance to us, and something we continue to strive for.
Reducing our carbon footprint
As part of LCA’s assessment**, we’ve also looked at our impact on global warming, or put another way, the carbon footprint of our products. Carbon footprint refers to the emissions of greenhouse gases into the air through a product’s life cycle. We’ve been working hard to reduce the carbon footprint of our absorbent products.
The impact of intimawear by Bodyform®
intimawear by Bodyform®, our reusable period pants, can be used again and again after washing, providing people with a sustainable choice during their period. We have compared reusable period underwear with current products: one pair of reusable period pants is compared to the use of one pair of normal pants made of cotton (50%) or nylon (50%) in combination with 50 pcs Bodyform Ultra towel and 50 pcs Bodyform Ultra Night, with all pants washed 50 times. When we compare them to the above over the same time period, we find that intimawear by Bodyform® is responsible for:
- 66% less impact on the environment*
- 88% less waste*
We’re proud of lots of other things we’re doing too. We care about the planet and the people that live on it, and below are just a few of the ways we’re making a difference.
Taboo busting
The taboos, ignorance and preconceptions surrounding menstruation are jeopardising the health of millions of people every day. We’re active in combating this. For example, we recently organised a menstrual hygiene training session for girls aged 10 to 12 in Haikou, China, together with the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC). The training session provided the girls with an opportunity to discuss their bodies, the importance of good hygiene during menstruation, and the feeling of pride in what happens naturally every month.
Improving knowledge
We are always trying to educate people about menstruation and the changes that happen in the body during puberty, maternity, menopause and everything in-between. The more that is known about the real flows and fluids that are completely natural for our bodies, the better. The more we listen, the more we know, and the more we can care for each other. If you’d like to know more about the taboos we are working to break down, or more information around periods, vulvas and vaginas, we have lots of information on the Bodyform website. Or, if you’d like to find out more about reusable solutions like intimawear by Bodyform®, check out our articles on how our period underwear is designed with you in mind , and how to wash and take care of your period underwear .
*These numbers are based on third party reviewed Life Cycle Assessments. Life Cycle Assessments, LCA, studies the environmental profile of a product i.e. the potential environmental impacts associated with a product throughout its entire life cycle from raw material acquisition through production, use and disposal, i.e. cradle-to-grave. Input of resources and energy and output of products and emissions to air and water are calculated for each activity in the life cycle. LCA is the only method to get the complete picture of a product’s environmental profile, with detailed information of where in the process what impact occurs. This means that one can identify areas where there are possibilities for improvements in the life cycle.
Which OEKO-TEX standard do you refer to?
The garment is certified according to OEKO-TEX standard 100, license number 12.HSL.09587.
**An LCA gives the complete environmental impact for a product for the different life cycle stages and processes within these stages. To see what impacts and how much helps Essity to make the best environmental choices; select suppliers that have environmentally sound materials and/or energy, guide innovations and product development in a sustainable way, improve the logistics chain. In addition it is a credible, third party verified way of calculating the environmental impact based on the ISO standards 14040/44 on LCA, the ISO standard 14067 on Carbon footprint of products, and specific category rules for absorbent products or tissue.
