The government has announced that the 5% rate of VAT on sanitary products in the UK – often called the “tampon tax” – will be scrapped from January 2021.  The term ‘tampon tax’ can be confusing. Thankfully, this change will apply to all sanitary products, including menstrual cups such as the Mooncup®.

Since 2015, the revenue collected from VAT in the UK has been diverted to charities working with vulnerable women and girls.  The Treasury estimates the ‘move will save the average woman nearly £40 over her lifetime, with a cut of 7p on a pack of 20 tampons and 5p on 12 pads’ (BBC News).

Meanwhile, one Mooncup menstrual cup will last for years, and already costs the same as you’d spend on disposables in 6-8 months.  Once the zero-rate is applied to sanitary products, new Mooncup customers will benefit from even greater savings. While this is good news, the future for the services recently supported by the tax revenue is less clear.

The news comes in the wake of several recent changes in the UK when it comes to periods. A new initiative that Mooncup Ltd is proudly participating in is offering free sanitary products in schools in England, including, for the first time, plastic-free sustainable options like the Mooncup. The Scottish parliament also announced that Scotland will become the first nation in the world to offer free sanitary products to all.

Original cover artwork by @thisisaliceskinner