Introducing Tsuno

Tsuno is our newest brand of sanitary towels, and personally one of my new favourites! The company is based in Australia, founded by Roz who wanted to offer a sustainable, chemical free alternative to regular sanitary products.

As a social enterprise, 50% of Tsuno’s profits are donated to charities dedicated to empowering women, particularly those who focus on education and menstrual support.

One Girl

The main charity Tsuno currently works with is One Girl, who provide education scholarships and sanitary pads to girls in Sierra Leone and Uganda. Education is something many of us take for granted, but there are currently more than 60 million girls around the world who are not in school. According to One Girl, a girl born in Sierra Leone is more likely to be sexually assaulted than she is to go to high school.

For poverty stricken countries, it can be difficult for parents to afford to send their children to school, and it’s usually the boys who get to go. We all know how much education can shape your life and create more opportunities for us.

Research suggests:

• Girls with 8 years of education are 4 times less likely to be married as children.
• For every year a girl stays in school, her income will increase by at least 10-20%.
• Each extra year of a mother’s education reduces the probability of infant mortality be 5-10%.
• Educated mothers pass on their education and are more than twice as likely to send their children to school.

There are many girls who are simply not given the opportunity of an education, but there are many who do go to school. but fall behind because they are kept home during their period. Imagine not going to school or work just because you’re on your period? I know for us that would probably be a dream come true, caring for our cramps in the comfort of our own home, but imagine having such little education about your body and no access to hygienic sanitary products? And imagine it’s so bad that you can’t even go to school! I think we all know which option we’d rather choose, and girls across the world should have this choice.

Bamboo Sanitary Towels

Tsuno’s pads are made from natural bamboo with a corn fibre top sheet, requiring no processing with harsh chemicals like regular brands. When you’re on your period sanitary towels and tampons are in close contact with your intimate areas for hours at a time, so wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t contain any harsh chemicals or any traces.

Bamboo is an eco-friendly material with a fast growth rate, low demand on resources and natural resistance to pests and fungi – meaning no chemical pesticides are necessary. Not only is it great for the environment, it is also kind to you – super absorbent, breathable, comfortable and antibacterial. The is also no chlorine or dioxin bleach used during the manufacturing process.

Maybe the only downside is that the product is not 100% biodegradable, i mean you can’t have everything! The pads do have a bottom layer of breathable polyethylene to ensure they remain leak-proof. However, Tsuno is working hard to develop sanitary towels that are 100% biodegradable.

What’s more, each pad is individually wrapped in a biodegradable sleeve and packaged in recyclable cardboard boxes.

Artistic Packaging

You’ll also notice that the boxes look so pretty! That’s because Tsuno features work from Australian artists on each box, with a view to change this regularly, showcasing amazing talent! The current edition features work from Brisbane based designer Erin Lightfoot.

Tampaign

Tsuno started out with just sanitary pads, however as the company has grown, Roz now wants to offer safer, organic alternatives to regular tampons. This is where the Tampaign comes in. Tsuno set up a crowdfunder to be able to begin production of 100% GOTS certified organic tampons that are biodegradable and have no plastic applicators.

They have since reached the goal and the tampons will soon be available!