From Policy to Practice: Barriers to Uptake of Reusable Period Products in Scotland

Dominique Haig is a menstrual activist and researcher from Scotland with a Master’s degree in Sexual and Reproductive Health, specialising in menstrual health policy. Her work focusses on advancing menstrual equity, and her debut publication explores institutional barriers to the uptake of reusable period products in Scotland.

Reusable period products are increasingly promoted as a sustainable, cost-effective, and health-conscious alternative to single-use menstrual products. They offer clear environmental benefits, long-term affordability, and the potential to reduce period-related inequalities.

However, despite policy interest, uptake remains limited. A 2019 Zero Waste Scotland report found that only 3% of menstruators in Scotland use reusable period products exclusively. This raises an important question: if these products are legally available through free provision, what is preventing wider uptake?

This research explores that gap by focusing not on individual choices, but on the institutional systems that shape access, awareness, and use. Drawing on interviews with 23 participants involved in menstrual education and period product procurement across schools, youth organisations, and local authority settings, it examines how policy is implemented in practice.

The findings reveal that barriers to reusable period product uptake are embedded within institutional systems, infrastructures, and everyday practices.

Findings: What is really blocking uptake?

The research highlights that uptake of reusable period products is shaped by multiple, interconnected institutional barriers, rather than individual preference alone.

1. Barriers in Menstrual Education: Awareness and Institutional Support

Despite growing policy attention, menstrual education remains inconsistent across settings due to insufficient training and institutional support. Educators and staff responsible for delivering menstrual health education often report limited guidance on reusable menstrual products. Those involved in procuring and distributing period products also describe uncertainty around what to order, how products should be stored or made available, and how to answer practical user questions. As a result, reusable products are not consistently embedded into teaching or everyday provision, and many young people and menstruators remain unaware of reusable options, how to use them, or how to integrate them into daily life, creating a knowledge gap that affects confidence and uptake.

2. Gatekeeping and restricted accessibility

Even where reusable products are technically available, access is often limited by institutional practices. Products may be kept behind reception desks, distributed only through specific staff members, or poorly signposted altogether. These gatekeeping approaches can increase embarrassment, reduce privacy, and discourage students from accessing products they are legally entitled to.

3. Infrastructure and policy fragmentation

Structural barriers continue to limit uptake, particularly where private washing facilities and accessible changing spaces are lacking. At the same time, implementation of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 remains inconsistent across institutions, creating uneven experiences of access and support.

4. Student voice is often missing from decision-making

Students are rarely consulted about which products are procured, how they are distributed, or what barriers they face in using them. As a result, institutions may continue purchasing products that do not align with students’ needs, preferences, or lifestyles, leading to low uptake and ineffective spending.

5. Limited monitoring and accountability

The research also identified gaps in monitoring and evaluation around menstrual product provision. Without consistent reporting on spending, uptake, and student experiences, it becomes difficult to assess whether provision is meeting needs or whether policy commitments are translating into meaningful practice.

Unequal impacts

Students experiencing poverty or disability are among those most likely to be disproportionately impacted, as they are more reliant on institutional provision and less able to overcome gaps in infrastructure, information, or support. This is further compounded by menstrual stigma, which can make requesting or accessing period products uncomfortable or embarrassing, particularly in institutional settings where privacy and confidence are limited.

From policy to practice: what needs to change

The findings highlight a clear disconnect between progressive policy frameworks and uneven real-world implementation. To close this gap, action is needed across multiple levels.

1. Strengthen menstrual education and awareness

Menstrual education must go beyond basic awareness of products and include practical, inclusive information on reusable options. This should be embedded consistently across schools, youth services, and community settings, rather than delivered inconsistently or as optional content. Education should also play a central role in reducing menstrual stigma, normalising conversations around reusable products, and ensuring period products are framed as a universal entitlement rather than something associated solely with poverty, which can create additional stigma for those accessing provision.

2. Improve infrastructure and institutional readiness

Access to reusable period products depends on more than distribution. Institutions should ensure that adequate facilities (such as private, accessible washing and changing spaces) are in place. Without this, uptake will continue to be limited regardless of product availability.

3. Embed student voice in procurement and provision

Students are rarely consulted in decisions around period product procurement, despite being directly affected by these choices. Embedding student feedback into product selection, piloting schemes, and distribution methods would help ensure products meet students’ practical needs and preferences while reducing waste and ineffective spending.

4. Remove gatekeeping practices and improve accessibility

Restrictive distribution practices, such as storing reusable products behind monitored desks or limiting access to specific locations, can create discomfort, stigma, and reduced uptake. Reusable products should be visibly available, clearly signposted, and accessible in ways that protect dignity and autonomy.

5. Strengthen implementation of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021

Although the Act marked a major step forward in tackling period inequality, implementation remains uneven across Scotland. Stronger national guidance, consistent funding, and clearer accountability structures are needed to reduce disparities between institutions. Robust monitoring and reporting mechanisms are essential to evaluate delivery, identify gaps in access, and ensure that menstrual equity is embedded in practice.

6. Engage parents and carers in menstrual education

Parents and carers play an important role in shaping young people’s attitudes toward menstrual products. Providing accessible information and support for families can help increase understanding of reusable products and encourage more informed, confident choices beyond educational settings.

Conclusion

While policy frameworks such as the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 represent important progress, implementation remains uneven and shaped by institutional capacity, training, and infrastructure.

The result is a system where access exists in principle, but not always in practice.

If reusable menstrual products are to deliver on their promise of sustainability, affordability, and equity, then there should be investment in education, strengthening institutional support, and addressing the structural inequalities that continue to shape menstrual experiences. 

Without addressing these institutional barriers, Scotland risks undermining the full environmental, economic, and equity potential of reusable period products.