Most women use disposable products during their menstrual period.

According to Melina Kuhn, marketing employee at Me Luna GmbH from Haundorf in Franconia, "over 200 women who exchanged views on this in an Internet forum" called for a larger range of environmentally friendly menstrual cups in 2009.

Managing Director Frank Krüger developed a prototype together with the women, and from this came more than 300 menstrual cups in various sizes, colors and degrees of softness.

According to its own statements, Me Luna is the first German company for menstrual cups.

According to a Forsa study, menstrual cups are the most popular sustainable period product.

“When we started, we were smiled at and described as alternative and ecological;

but now the cup is standing upright next to the tampons and pads on the shelf,” says Kuhn.

Sales have now been expanded from their own online shop to more than 600 bulk shops, Edeka branches and pharmacies throughout Germany.

More freedom of movement than underwear

Gynecologist Imke Mebes, Hamburg's deputy state chairwoman of the professional association of gynecologists, sees the advantages of the menstrual cup primarily in the flexibility that is given by the large selection of models and in the freedom of movement, which period underwear, for example, does not guarantee.

According to Mebes, one disadvantage is: "You always have to rinse out the menstrual cup when you change it." Otherwise, you only have to pay attention to boiling the cup.

In size M, a menstrual cup has about the capacity of three tampons.

In the long term, the cup is ecologically and financially advantageous, says Mebes.

A menstrual cup should be changed annually;

According to Mebes, one cup saves the waste of about 200 tampons.

Using the example of the Me Luna menstrual cup, which costs 16 euros, the total price in life amounts to 640 euros, while a tampon costs an average of 0.12 euros, which comes to 1800 euros.

The industry is doing very well

Me Luna GmbH estimates its market share at 25 to 30 percent.

Competitors are Einhorn Products GmbH and Merula GmbH.

"Despite the larger supply from different companies, we have an increasing demand and I would say that the industry is doing very well," says Kuhn.

Me Luna currently sells 300,000 to 400,000 menstrual cups annually.

They export to 13 countries.

"For example, we have one of the largest partners in Japan, who sells the cups in online shops, bulk shops and pharmacies." They also sell in the USA, Argentina, India, Australia and New Zealand.

"Annual turnover was 1.4 million euros in the 2020 financial year," reports Frank Krüger.

In 2021 it fell by 200,000 euros due to the corona.

One reason was the rising raw material prices for TPE, thermoplastic elastomers that the cups are made of.

Compared to other materials, TPE can be produced more cheaply and they can be completely recycled again.

Me Luna is also gaining a foothold in developing countries: "In various initiatives, we give away the cups either free of charge or at a greatly reduced price," reports Krüger.

The article comes from the student project "Youth and Business", which the FAZ organizes together with the Association of German Banks.