AWWA is a New Zealand based, indigenous-owned period care company founded by Michele Wilson (Tainui, Ngati Pāoa) and Kylie Matthews. AWWA creates alternatives to single-use period products, but behind their brand is a movement to decolonise periods. Through this movement, they aim to reconnect people with their cycles and in turn “their bodies, their wairua (spirit), and their connection to te taio (the environment).”
They are strongly purpose driven, existing to support the eradication of period poverty, have a net positive impact on the environment and change the narrative around stigma associated with menstruation.
The issue with disposable period products
It’s estimated that people with periods use more than 11,000 single-use disposable products in their lifetime (based on an average of 38 years of menstruation using 22 items of sanitary products per cycle, 13 cycles per year). Disposables also mean that menstruators have to stock up each month, locking us in to decades of expensive purchasing.
And these disposable products are inextricably linked to our plastic dependence - tampons come wrapped in plastic, encased in plastic applicators, with plastic strings dangling from one end, and many even include a thin layer of plastic in the absorbent part.
Pads generally incorporate even more plastic, from the leak-proof base to the synthetics that soak up fluid , to adhesive strips, to the packaging. These plastic-centric products will live on for at least 500 years after their brief usefulness has passed.
Papatūānuku as inspiration
The inspiration to start AWWA came from Michelle understanding Papatūānuku (mother earth) to be the ‘first mother’ and that everything, including our ikura (periods), is ultimately returned to her. Using single-use pads and tampons made from plastic was at direct odds with this understanding of the world.
Michelle started using angiangi, a moss-like plant that her tupuna (ancestors) used, and realised that if they were alive today, they would have innovated the idea of angiangi, in a way that did not harm the earth. From there, AWWA was conceived and born.
The divine river
The name AWWA is derived from the Māori word 'awa' meaning river or flow. According to the brands founders, Māori referred to their period as te awa atua - the divine river, and this is the foundation of their brand. At the heart of AWWA’s philosophies are Māori traditions that celebrate ikura (period)
Their website has a whole section on ‘how to reconnect with your cycle’. I really loved this quote:
“Our ancestors viewed periods as tapu (sacred) and it was celebrated by the whole community, as it signified the continuation of whanau and hapu (family and extended family)”.
Beautiful stuff. And a far cry from language we often use in the west referring to our periods as the ‘curse’.
AWWAs impact
AWWA has recently celebrated a significant milestone of preventing 23 million single-use period products from ending up in landfills and waterways in New Zealand and around the world. This number continues to grow, each month AWWA customers are preventing almost 1 million single-use period products ending up in landfill.
The undies
AWWAs main product is period undies (including some sweet new lingerie, thongs and boxers) but they also do matching bras and swimwear. Period undies are highly absorbent, reusable, washable undies that absorb your period as you wear them.
I tried the All Day Eva Period Brief which holds the equivalent of 5 pads worth of blood. That basically means you wear the underwear for the duration of the time you would normally wear five regular tampons or pads. I used mine overnight on my heaviest flow and there was no spillage.
When you’re finished using the undies, you simply rinse them under cold water until the water runs clear and then throw them in the normal wash. Easy.
Like many sustainable products, there’s an up-front cost but AWWA products are pretty doable. The Eva's that I tried retail for $47 NZD, but they offer Afterpay (4 payments of $11.79) and LayBuy (six payments of $7.83) options. Ideally you’d invest in a pack so you’re covered for your entire period (they sell three packs for under $100).
Authentic sustainability in action
AWWA doesn’t just talk the talk either, they walk it. Supply chain information is displayed clearly on the product page so you know how and where your undies were made. Their materials are GOTS certified cotton, tencel model and recycled nylon. AWWA fabrics are dyed in Oeko-Tex certified mills, meaning dyes used are free of harmful levels of toxic substances.
They have recently obtained B Corp certification which is no joke. To achieve this, businesses must complete The B Impact Assessment which is an extensive 300 question analysis that evaluates organisations on five key areas; governance, workers, community, environment and customers. Based on the B Impact assessment, AWWA earned an overall score of 93.2. The median score for ordinary businesses who complete the assessment is currently 50.9.
They are climate positive, meaning they have measured and offset the carbon footprint of their business operations for the 2022 financial year to 120%. So they’re not just absorbing the emissions they produce, but 20% extra too. I won’t bore you with the details but I have put businesses through carbon certification schemes and these guys are basically following best practice (which is less common than you might think).
The business donates 2% of revenue to ensure communities have access to period products when they otherwise wouldn’t. Since AWWA launched they have donated over 16,000 pairs of underwear to schools, NGOs and registered charities throughout Aotearoa and the pacific.
AWWA became a living wage accredited employer in August 202, meaning that their employees are paid above the current living wage rate. AWWA is also committed to inclusive sizing and genderless design.
There is so much to love about this brand, head over to their website and check them out.
