The idea is simple. Buy some sanitary products. Store them in the ladies’ toilets at work and invite everyone to use and/or replace them. Et voilà: you’ve got a new Tampon Club.

Currently working for the Government Digital Service, Alice Bartlett got the idea when working for IBM. At that time, the IBM office was a cash-free environment and employees paid for everything with their company passes. Only the tampon dispenser needed coins. Naturally, no one ever had any coins. So Bartlett put a box of tampons in the ladies’ toilet with a sign: ‘Do not eat me, I am not sweets.’

The ultimate goal of the Tampon Club: that employers provide free sanitary products, the same way they provide free toilet paper. Why? ‘If you’ve ever not wiped your bum after a shit, you’ll know how uncomfortable that is. That is probably why companies pay for toilet paper. It would be pretty difficult to do your job while dealing with this level of discomfort. Not getting a tampon when you need one is equally as distracting from your job, so it’s in your company’s interest to provide them,’ Bartlett explains with a rather gross analogy.

Want to start your own Tampon Club? Visit Tampon.club/

Also read:
Menstruation in literature
Menstruation in advertisements
Menstruation in quotes
Menstruation in films
Menstruation in music

Period! is an independent, online magazine about all aspects of menstruation. Period! is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. If you’re suffering from medical complaints, always visit your doctor or GP. Editorial articles can contain affiliate links. Sponsored collaborations can be found in the category Spotlight. Do you have any questions? Check our contact page.