The Hello Cup

Half the world's population experiences periods but managing them can be a challenge both in terms of comfort and the impact on the environment. Traditionally the options presented to people with periods have been single-use tampons and pads. The challenge for us was to design something better - something more comfortable and less wasteful. A person with a period will use, on average, 432 single-use period products every year. These often contain micro-plastics and chemicals and can take more than 500 years to breakdown in landfill. The first tampon ever used is still somewhere on our planet.

The solution was to design something that was easier to use, more convenient and comfortable which had less impact on the environment. Hello Cups tick those boxes and can be used to completely replace tampons and pads. - Convenient: hold 3 x more than single-use products - Comfortable: the rim is internal rather than external; they have a rounded toggle rather than stem with 'corners' (both features seen on other brands); the exterior is smooth; using medical-grade TPE rather than silicone means they are hypoallergenic. - Sustainable: 1 cup lasts five years; is the equivalent of 2130 single-use products; fully recyclable

Since 2018 Hello Cups have prevented more than 200 million single-use tampons and pads going into landfills around the world. The aim is to hit 1 billion by 2025. - One Hello Cup is the equivalent of 2130 single-use tampons or pads - Hello Cups are fully hypoallergenic meaning people allergic to silicone menstrual cups are able to use Hello Cups. - They can be worn for up to 12 hours - perfect for school, work, sleep - Hello Cups come in three sizes - Aesthetically pleasing, Hello Cups encourage more people to make the switch because they don't look daunting.

Hello Cups were designed from scratch by two women who'd had debilitating periods for much of their lives. Robyn McLean and Mary Bond, a Registered Nurse, met at school and have remained best friends since. Wanting a more comfortable and sustainable period option for their daughters led to them designing The Hello Cup. As a sustainable product the key was to ensure the design was easy to use and comfortable but also visually appealing to encourage use. They knew without those things it wasn't even worth starting the process. Robyn and Mary had tried so many menstrual cups but felt there were so many elements missing that could make them better. It was essential from the get-go that the whole experience was beautiful. The recyclable canister Hello Cups come in was designed to be so gorgeous that the user would keep it and repurpose it for other things. By having a positive experience for the customer through buying and using their product, Hello Cup aim to create a conversation - hence the 'hello.' which translates as 'Hello Period'.