Iris + Arlo offers healthy, sustainable menstrual products
Many menstrual products can be found in convenience stores.
But many are not environmentally friendly, and some contain chemicals. Montreal-based start-up Iris + Arlo designs menstrual products made from natural, eco-friendly materials.
The problem the company is tackling is that menstrual products can harm the environment, and the health of menstruating people.
"Menstrual products can contain chemicals, and they have a considerable impact on the environment," explains Lara Emond, founder and CEO of Iris + Arlo.
A person will use over 10,000 menstrual products in their lifetime, she says.
This is problematic, because:
the materials of which they are made can take hundreds of years to decompose;
many microplastics contained in disposable products end up in waterways.
Iris + Arlo's solution is to manufacture menstrual products using environmentally-friendly materials that are harmless to human health.
The company offers a range of single-use products, such as tampons and menstrual pads.
They're made from organic cotton and biodegradable materials.
"Organic cotton contains no pesticides, which is better for your health and the environment," notes Lara Emond.
The start-up also offers reusable products, such as menstrual pants.
The company's business model will be to sell its products through 3 channels:
its website, with a subscription formula;
convenience stores, such as pharmacies;
companies that want to offer these products to their employees.
"Out of a concern for inclusiveness, more and more employers are providing menstrual products free of charge to their employees," says Lara Emond.
Companies subject to the Canada Labour Code will be required to do so from December 15.
Iris + Arlo has positioned itself as a company with a social and environmental impact.
It will donate a portion of its production to charity.
The company recently obtained over $100,000 in participatory financing from the non-profit organization La Ruche.
In total, the fundraising project raised over $265,000, thanks to additional financing from Fonds Mille et UN pour la jeunesse, Desjardins and the Fonds ADM / 375 idées de PME Montréal.
Iris + Arlo is one of 20 start-ups selected this year for Startup Montréal's Bourse+ program.