Bio

Lunapads International is a women-owned mission-based business based in Vancouver, Canada. Our mission is to help women have healthier and more positive experiences of their menstrual cycles, and by extension, their bodies overall. Our team is made up of a passionate group of women who believe that using natural menstrual products is a creative and empowering way to honor and care for ourselves and the planet.

How did Lunapads start?

In 1993 Madeleine Shaw, then an aspiring fashion designer, started making Lunapads as an attempt to resolve monthly bladder infections she had been suffering as a result of tampon use. In making the switch, she discovered a new and exciting relationship with her cycle which in turn enhanced her overall self-esteem and inspired her to start a business.

By 1999 Lunapads were available at Health Food stores across Canada. In the same year Madeleine met Suzanne Siemens, a Chartered Accountant looking for greater meaning in her career, at a Community Leadership course they were both participating in. Realizing that they shared a dream for healthier women and a healthier planet, they combined their talents to make Lunapads the globally-recognized brand it is today.

Why do most women switch?

There are a multitude of common reasons, including frustration with the cost of disposable products, health issues such as rashes or infections, and concern about environmental issues. On a more positive note, many women simply want to be more comfortable or to free themselves from endless trips to the drugstore to buy more supplies.

Many women also express the opinion that marketing campaigns for disposables, and even the products themselves, imply a sense of shame around menstruation in that the products resemble bandages that must be then “discreetly” disposed of after use. Lunapads has created a uniquely inspiring community of women who want to be more engaged with themselves and reject this shame-based approach to an entirely healthy and natural process.

What are the main benefits of reusable products vs. disposables?

Dramatically reduced waste, financial savings, superior comfort and fewer health issues.

How do you respond to the “eww” factor?

Initial discomfort with the idea of being in closer proximity to one’s menses is perfectly understandable given the social climate around menstruation that most of us have been raised in. Actually seeing the products themselves has a powerful impact for most customers: a common reaction is “Wow, they’re so soft and pretty!” The notion that Lunapads will be hard to wash or transport is also quickly dispelled, as they do not typically require special washing treatment and can be easily stored while outside the home.

As with the changes so many of us are making to live more sustainably, it is a change that is often surprisingly easy and has the added benefit of the sense of satisfaction that we are doing something better for ourselves and the Earth.

Statistics about Lunapads

1. Founded: 2000
2. Location: Vancouver BC, Canada
3. Founders: Madeleine Shaw and Suzanne Siemens
4. Customers: >100,000
5. Global reach: >40 countries
6. Primary sales channel: Lunapads.com
7. Number of employees: 8

Impact

1. Number of disposable pads and tampons diverted from landfills every month, thanks to women using Lunapads.com products: 1 million
2. Number of disposable pads or tampons replaced by 1 Lunapad: 140
3. Number of years a single Lunapad will last: > 5 years
4. Number of disposable pads, tampons and applcators added to landfills annually in North America: 20 Billion 

Statistics about Pads4Girls

1. Making donations since: 2001
2. Countries: Mexico, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Ghana, Zimbabwe
3. Number of Lunapads/Lunapanties donated since 2001: ~ 3,000
4. Number of women/girls helped since 2001: ~ 1,000
5. Goal for 2011: 1,000 girls!
   

Leading Innovator

In April 2011, BC Business Magazine named Lunapads one of BC's top 20 Leading Innovators. Not only were the judges impressed with our innovative products, they were even more impressed with our Pads4Girls project.

"It’s tempting to imagine what the world would be like if every company operated under the same principles as Lunapads, a triple-bottom-line innovator that is changing the lives of women around the world,” proclaimed BCBusiness Magazine.

Check out BC Business Magazine’s online profile of Lunapads, or read the press release for more info.

Online and Print Media Appearances

1. Addressing a Monthly Issue, Media Planet feature in the National Post, June 2011
2. Madeleine Shaw and Suzanne Siemens profile, Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, June 2011
3. Empowering Entrepreneurs North Shore News, Brief Case, April 2011
4. Leading Innovator BCBusiness Magazine, April 2011
5. Love for Lunapads The Kind Life, May 2010
6. A Planet Friendly Period Mothering Magazine, April 2010
7. Cycle Green Green is Sexy, May 2010
8. Eco and Body Friendly Menstrual Products Offbeat Mama, June 2010
9. The Skeptic Redbook, February 2009
10. There's No Delicate Way To Put This TruthDig, January 2007
11. Your Greenest Time of the Month Chatelaine, November 2008
12. How to Have Happier Periods BUST Magazine, October 2008
13. Going Garbage Free with Lunapads and the Diva Cup! Montreal Gazette, November 2008
14. Lunapads Recommended as an Eco-Friendly Choice Grist, November 2008
15. Lunagals Mompreneur, June 2008
16. Green Shopping List  Mompreneur, June 2008
17. Luna Babies Land at Work  Herizons Magazine, March 2008
18. Pads to Save or Trash Africa The Georgia Straight, March 2008
19. A Rad Pad SavvyMom.ca, January 2008
20. That Time of the Decade Vancouver Sun, November 2007
    
21. These Are Not Your Grandma's Pads Pediascribe, November 2007
22.  Going Green Pajama Mommy, October 2007
23. Not Gross At All, Actually! The Opinionated Parent, June 2007
24. Lunapads Female Protection  TreeHugger, May 2005

Radio Appearances

1. Sexy in Vancity 101.9FM CITR, December 2010
2. LunaRevolution Pregnancy Place Radio, November 2010
3. Chatting with Madeleine Shaw, founder of Lunapads Strocel.com, July 2011

Press Releases

Contact Madeleine Shaw: mshaw@lunapads.com | Suzanne Siemens: suzanne@lunapads.com |
Download high resolution images of us, our products and logo at Flickr.com