Recycle More, Pay More: When Environmental Policy Forgets Women

New waste regulations are rolling out across many towns in Tuscany. With pay-as-you-throw pricing, the idea is simple: produce less non-recyclable waste, pay less. It’s a modern principle, already used in many European cities. On paper, it makes sense.

The problem is that paper has no body. People do.

The waste you can’t avoid

There’s one detail consistently missing from the public conversation: menstrual waste.
Pads and tampons are not habits to correct. They are biological necessities. They already come at a cost, and they inevitably end up in non-recyclable trash. Under the new rules, that means many women risk paying twice: once at the checkout, and again on their waste bill.

This isn’t ideological. It’s practical.

“Just use eco-friendly alternatives”

That’s the standard response. And it’s also the shallowest one.
Yes, alternatives exist. No, they are not universal. Not every woman can use them. Not every woman can afford them. And most importantly, not every woman is given proper information about how they work. Without education, it’s not a choice — it’s pressure.

The real blind spot: education

The core issue isn’t the tariff itself. It’s the complete lack of menstrual and environmental education aimed at women.
The system changes. Costs are introduced. And women are left to figure it out alone, navigating taboos, misinformation, and personal expense.

A structural change requires structural education:
• in schools,
• in local communities,
• in public health services.

Not technical leaflets. Clear, accessible, honest information.

Environmentalism without justice doesn’t last

Without this support, environmental policy becomes selective. It works for those with time, money, and resources — and penalizes those without. And when a “green” reform ignores the female body, it isn’t neutral. It’s incomplete.

Recycling more is necessary.
But doing it by shifting the cost onto women, without education or safeguards, isn’t progress. It’s just another bill.

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