Ruby Cup Impact Report 2024-2025

Impact report 2024-2025

© Ripple Africa/ Ruby Cup NGO Partner

The Story Behind Ruby Cup Ruby Cup is on a mission to change the way the world thinks about periods.

Since 2012, we’ve been breaking taboos and rewriting the rules around menstrual health. We were the first to launch the Buy One, Give One model for menstrual cups, so every time you make a purchase, someone without access to safe period care receives one too. Simple, impactful, and life-changing.

But we’re not just about products: we’re a purpose-driven movement.

We’re here to make period care sustainable, stigma-free, and accessible to everyone.

From improving health outcomes to opening up honest conversations and delivering education where it’s needed most, everything we do is rooted in impact.

Because when people have the tools and knowledge to manage their periods safely, confidently, and with dignity, everything changes.

Our Vision A world where menstruation is no longer a barrier to education, health, or equality.

Our Mission To provide safe, sustainable, and stigma-free menstrual health solutions through innovative partnerships, educational programmes, and product donations that create lasting impact in underserved communities.

What Makes Us Different?

A Ruby Cup is more than a convenient way for you to manage your period. It’s a guarantee that someone, somewhere in the world, will be able to do the same.

With this Impact Report, we’d like to show you how we go beyond our Buy One, Give One promise to make sure nobody is held back by their period.

This is our vision and our main driver as a social enterprise.

With the help of a network of locally-based partner organizations, we have been tackling the challenges of period poverty. We’ve become the world’s leading donor of menstrual cups, with more than 14 years of experience and over 155,000 cups donated.

We have identified three key elements in our fight against period poverty: Access to and ongoing support with safe menstrual care products Comprehensive, empowering period education that helps destigmatize menstruation Access to water and other WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) infrastructure

© RNLI (Ahmad Solaiman)/ Ruby Cup NGO Partner

Our Buy One, Give One Model Our programme follows a clear, structured approach to ensure impact and accountability:

Purchase With Purpose A customer buys a cup and we match it with another cup to be donated to one of our locally based partners.

Responsible Distribution Our partners receive a shipment of cups for their needs.

We ship donations in batches to reduce carbon emissions.

Education & Empowerment

Our partners distribute the cups with an educational workshop. We have produced a detailed menstrual health and cup training toolkit.

Follow-Up & Support Supportive follow-ups and ongoing evaluation are carried out after 6-7 weeks and 6 months, to help with doubts and questions.

Measuring Impact

Partners must produce a report after 6-12 months with learnings and uptake rates. Succesful programmes have an average uptake rate of 80%.

This programme guarantees that every cup purchased creates a real, measurable difference in the lives of people in need. © Ahmad Tea/ Ruby Cup CSR Partner

Figures That Matter: Behind every statistic is a life improved, a community supported, a planet a little healthier. Our numbers carry meaning, and every story brings the figures to life.

© Ahmad Tea/ Ruby Cup CSR Partner

Ruby Cups donated 2012-25

155,176 across

24 countries

in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe

Adoption rate

82% Kilos of plastic waste saved by our donations

8,224,328

Kilos of CO2 saved by our donations

7,758,800

Expanding Our Global Impact

© Ripple Africa/ Ruby Cup NGO Partner

Total Ruby Cups donated in 2024-2025

7,738

Over the past two years, we have strengthened several long-term collaborations while also launching new partnerships to expand our global impact. This includes our ongoing work with Golden Girls Foundation, a valued partner since 2012, as well as new initiatives with organisations working to improve menstrual health access and education.

In 2024, we expanded our reach to new countries, supporting projects in Colombia for the first time through the charity Tiempo de Juego and launching activities in Bangladesh in collaboration with Royal National Lifeboat Institution. We also deepened partnerships with organisations that support young people through sport, including Solidary Sports in London.

In the following pages, we share more details about some of our NGO partners and the impact of these collaborations.

Our partners in 2024 and 2025

7 1- Bloody Good Period – UK 2- Ditch the Rag – UK 3- Irise – UK 4- In Kind Direct – UK 5- Woost (research) - UK 6- Solidarity Sports – UK 7- Tiempo de Juego – Colombia 8- RNLI – Bangladesh 9- Ripple Africa – Malawi 10- Trey Society – Malawi 11- MaishaMeds - Uganda 12- Golden Girls Foundation - Kenya 13- Changing Lenses Changing Lives - Kenya 14- Akamba Aid Foundation - Kenya 15- Warrior Queens - Kenya/Uganda 16- Fundació Pere Tarrés - Spain 17- BeArtsy - Nepal 18- Sausage Tree Foundation - Zambia

2 1

3

4 5

6 16

17

15 11 13 4 1 12 9 18 10

8

Ripple Africa A community development organisation working in Malawi

Where

Malawi Distributed in 2024-2025

2,750 cups

© Ripple Africa/ Ruby Cup NGO Partner

In 2024, Ruby Cup partnered with Ripple Africa to pilot menstrual cups in rural Malawian schools, combining product distribution with hands-on education about menstrual health.

Over the course of the project, 250 menstrual cups were distributed to students across six primary schools and one secondary school, accompanied by training sessions delivered by locally trained facilitators.

led them to engage in inappropriate or risky activities to afford them. The introduction of menstrual cups significantly reduced this issue, giving girls a safe, sustainable solution.

The pilot also sparked broader conversations in the communities, with teachers and local leaders embracing menstrual health education and encouraging open discussion about periods.

The results were impressive: 80% of girls reported regularly using their cups, highlighting benefits such as financial savings, comfort, fewer leaks, and the ability to attend school without interruption.

Encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive feedback and measurable impact, Ruby Cup renewed its support in 2025, donating additional menstrual cups to expand access to sustainable menstrual health solutions for girls across Malawi. Over 2024 and 2025, Ripple Africa distributed 2,750 cups, thanks to a shared effort combining Ruby Cup donations with additional units purchased by Ripple Africa at a reduced NGO price to reach even more girls.

Even more striking, 93% of girls who used the cups said they would choose them over disposable alternatives.

Before receiving cups, some girls faced financial pressure to buy disposable pads, which in some cases

© Ripple Africa/ Ruby Cup NGO Partner

Ripple Africa “We have been grateful for the advice and support provided by Ruby Cup since we approached them about our two-phase menstrual cup trial in Malawi. The team were always quick to respond to our queries, connected us with a great incountry menstrual cup trainer, and have checked in throughout our trial to find out how the project has been received. We have distributed almost 3,000 Ruby Cups which are really good quality, and the women and girls that have received them love them. We hope to continue working with Ruby Cup in the future.”

Nikki Khoram, Operations Manager Ripple Africa

“I told my mother and she was grateful that Ripple Africa are helping us save money by providing this product. I like that it does not leak too.”

Esther (14), Ripple Africa programme participant

© Ripple Africa/ Ruby Cup NGO Partner

“My mother is very pleased. She struggled to find the money to buy me pads, but the menstrual cup can be reused again and again.”

Agnes (14), Ripple Africa programme participant

RNLI The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, working to prevent drowning worldwide.

Where

Bangladesh Distributed in 2024

120 cups © RNLI (Ahmad Solaiman)/ Ruby Cup NGO Partner

Through its international drowning prevention work, RNLI partners with the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh (CIPRB), an organisation addressing one of Bangladesh’s most urgent public health challenges: childhood drowning. In Bangladesh alone, around 40 children die every day from drowning, making survival swimming lessons a critical lifesaving intervention.

Most survival swimming instructors are women, and until recently, menstruation posed a significant barrier to their work.

Classes were often cancelled during periods due to lack of safe and reliable menstrual products, reducing the number of children able to access swimming lessons. In 2024, Ruby Cup partnered with RNLI and CIPRB to address this challenge by providing menstrual cups

and menstrual health education to female swim instructors for the first time.

One year later, the impact is clear. 90% of instructors reported using their menstrual cups, not only while teaching swimming but also in their everyday lives.

Instructors reported feeling more comfortable, confident, and free to enter the water during menstruation, with no missed working days due to periods. As a result, fewer swimming lessons were cancelled, and more children were able to learn vital survival swimming skills, directly contributing to drowning prevention.

Ruby Cup is proud to support this initiative, where access to menstrual health solutions directly contributes to saving lives. The project combined Ruby Cup donations with RNLI’s cup purchases to reach more instructors.

“At first, I was very afraid they would not accept menstrual cups. But interestingly, they accepted them very well. After switching to the cup, they feel free to enter the water. None of them miss any working days, and they say they will continue to use it year after year and act as advocates for other girls in their community.”

Nahid Akter, Communications Manager, Centre for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh

In Kind Direct The leading product-giving charity in the UK

Where

UK Distributed in 2024-25

960 cups © In Kind Direct/ Ruby Cup NGO Partner

In 2024 and 2025, Ruby Cup partnered with In Kind Direct to tackle hygiene poverty and defend the right to period dignity across the United Kingdom. Every day, In Kind Direct supports charities working with people facing hardship, from domestic violence survivors and refugees to families experiencing homelessness and financial insecurity.

Together, we donated 960 Ruby Cups over two years, supporting 84 charitable organisations across the UK, including community centres, schools, refugee services, domestic abuse charities, health organisations, and grassroots community groups.

According to In Kind Direct’s 2024 research, more than one third of people

who menstruate in the UK (37%) have gone without period products at some point in their lives.

Through this partnership, Ruby Cups help provide a long-term, sustainable solution to menstrual inequity. With one cup lasting up to ten years (around 120 cycles), the 960 cups donated across 2024–25 enable an estimated 115,200 dignified periods, a long-term solution that also prevents thousands of singleuse products from entering landfill.

Through this partnership, sustainable period care becomes more than a product, it becomes a tool for dignity, confidence, and financial relief.

“We constantly get women who are so thankful for being able to access period products and toiletries. This takes away a lot of stress financially as they can spend more on food.”

Period Power Charity

“This was my first time using a cup. I was nervous, but now I’d never go back.”

Cup recipient, London

“Products like Ruby Cup are not just practical— they start conversations.”

Charity coordinator, Midlands

BeArtsy A Catalan NGO working in Achham, in the remote west of Nepal

Where

Nepal Distributed in 2024

1,000 cups © BeArtsy / Ruby Cup NGO Partner

Since 2016, Ruby Cup has partnered with BeArtsy to tackle menstrual poverty and break deep-seated cultural taboos in Nepal through the Rato Baltin Project. In this region, the centuries-old Chhaupadi practice considers menstruating women and girls “impure,” forcing them to isolate in huts and preventing them from touching water sources or participating in family life. The practice exposes women to extreme risks, including hypothermia, disease, animal attacks, and social exclusion.

Together, we have donated almost 7,500 menstrual cups and held menstrual health and sexual education workshops for women and teenage girls at local schools and in the community.

their menstruation, challenge taboos, and educate their communities.

Each participant receives a kit containing a menstrual cup, a towel, soap, and a bucket for cleaning and sterilizing the cup. In these remote areas, women previously had limited or no menstrual products, often using old rags, and cups dramatically improve their hygiene, dignity, and ability to attend school, work, and participate in daily life.

By combining education, empowerment, and sustainable menstrual products, the project works to reduce Chhaupadi, promote menstrual equity, and give women and girls the confidence to be active in public spaces.

The Rato Baltin Project uses participative photography, discussion, and art to give participants a safe space to talk about

“I am very proud of all the girls and women who help us at Achham, our mentors and our trainers. When they were students, they would blush if we talked to them about menstruation.

And the following year, they began to teach their peers about sexual health and menstruation with power, determination and without shame.

Just for those women and girls, it is worth all the difficulties we go through to get there.”

Clara Garcia Ortés, Founder of BeArtsy

Ruby Cup Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme

© Ahmad Tea/ Ruby Cup CSR Partner

In 2023, Ruby Cup launched its Corporate Social Responsibility programme to help businesses support menstrual health at work while also contributing to the fight against period poverty around the world. The programme is designed to be simple and practical. Companies support their own teams with reusable period products, and at the same time help expand access to safe menstrual care in communities that need it most.

How the Ruby Cup CSR Programme Works Supporting employees Companies purchase Ruby Cup menstrual cups and/or Flow Freedom period underwear for their employees.

This helps people manage their periods safely and comfortably at work, while also encouraging more open conversations about menstruation. .

Creating wider impact For every reusable product purchased through the CSR programme, Ruby Cup donates menstrual cups and financial support to NGO partners working in menstrual health education and access. This means that each corporate order helps support people beyond the workplace. .

Reducing environmental impact By choosing reusable products, companies help reduce waste and emissions. One menstrual cup can replace thousands disposable pads and tampons, making it a longlasting and environmentally friendly solution.

CSR in Action: Impact 2024–25 Since its launch, the CSR programme has enabled companies to turn everyday workplace benefits into real social impact.

In 2024–25, partners such as Ahmad Tea, Popcorn, Cyclos, Diers IVF ApS, Enstruct, and Volcano Theatre joined the programme by providing reusable period products to their teams.

Together, CSR partnerships helped support the donation of over 2,500 menstrual cups across multiple countries, contributing to the reduction of period poverty and promoting long-term, sustainable menstrual solutions.

CSR Partner Spotlight: Ahmad Tea

© Ahmad Tea/ Ruby Cup CSR Partner

Ahmad Tea, winner of The King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, is a key Ruby Cup CSR partner. The company purchased menstrual cups directly for employees working in tea plantations in Kenya and Malawi, combining product access with education and long-term support.

In total, more than 2,000 women across Ahmad Tea’s Kenyan tea gardens received Ruby Cups. The initiative went beyond distribution, with comprehensive workshops on menstrual care and reproductive health. Each session lasted about two hours and created a safe space for learning and asking questions. Follow-up sessions provided ongoing support, and after six months, some participants became “Cup Ladies”, sharing knowledge and experiences with others in their communities.

Later, the programme was expanded to include schools, reaching teenage girls in secondary schools near the plantations. This helped younger beneficiaries gain access to menstrual cups and receive guidance on how to use them safely, while also improving school attendance and comfort during menstruation.

© Ahmad Tea/ Ruby Cup CSR Partner

Ahmad Tea CSR Programme: Summary of Impact Employees Impact Average adoption rate: around 90%, with most participants using their cups consistently over several months.

Women reported improved comfort and dignity, with many saving money previously spent on disposable pads.

Peer encouragement was important: women who adopted the cups early helped motivate others.

Training in local languages and access to running water supported confidence and ease of use.

© Ahmad Tea/ Ruby Cup CSR Partner

© Ahmad Tea/ Ruby Cup CSR Partner

Impact On Schoolgirls Girls reported feeling more confident and comfortable at school, helping reduce absenteeism during menstruation.

Follow-up support helped address initial fears or difficulties, especially for first-time users.

Money saved from using reusable cups was often redirected toward education-related needs such as books, stationery, and uniforms.

Some students shared their experiences with friends and teachers from other schools, sparking curiosity and conversations about menstrual health.

Overall, the CSR programme with Ahmad Tea demonstrates that combining product access, education, and ongoing support leads to high adoption rates, improved menstrual health, and positive impacts on both workplace wellbeing and school attendance.

Fearless: Our Latest Step In Sustainable Menstrual Care

In 2025, Ruby Cup proudly introduced Fearless, a new addition to our period underwear range designed especially for lighter menstrual days. Fearless represents our continued commitment to offering menstrual care solutions that are sustainable, inclusive, and confidence‐boosting for people with periods around the world.

Like all Ruby Cup products, Fearless underwear are reusable, washable, and made from OEKO‐TEX®‐certified materials built to last up to five years. They are available in a wide range of sizes to ensure more people can access comfortable and reliable period protection.

As with our Flow Freedom line, 2 % of the revenue from every pair sold supports the Golden Foundation Learning Centre nursery in Kisumu, Kenya, helping provide education and opportunities for children and families in the community.

The Learning Centre To see the impact of this partnership firsthand, we spoke with Golda Ayodo, coordinator of the Golden Girls Foundation, who shares how these donations make a real difference for the Learning Centre, its children, and the local community.

How did the Learning Centre start? How many children do you support?

The Golden Foundation Learning Centre was established in 2015 using savings from Golden Girls Foundation mentors, during our early partnership with Ruby Cup. It’s built on the principle of Education for Sustainable Development and offers a strong foundation for lifelong success. Beyond teaching children, the centre also provides training for teachers and creates income opportunities for local women. Today, the school supports 200 pupils.

How does the nursery help mothers and families, in terms of accessing work and financial independence?

We employ women from the community as teachers and support staff, providing them with stable income. The daycare also serves as a safe space for working mothers, who can drop off their children and even breastfeed during breaks. Currently, the school employs 20 staff members, many of them local women.

How has the 2% donation scheme from Ruby Cup helped the development of the learning centre?

The donation scheme has supported essential maintenance projects, including repairing classroom floors, installing water tanks and gutters, and providing stationery.

Ruby Cup was also instrumental in establishing the first three classrooms after a visit from Amaia and Julie in 2015. That gift felt more like 20% to us than 2%, it was a huge turning point.

What are your hopes for the future of these children, and how can people help?

Our biggest hope is to help these children break free from generational poverty through education, because education is the great equalizer.

You can help by sponsoring a child. Just $120 per year can make a life-changing difference.

Sustainable Products, Lasting Impact

Ruby Cup products are designed to reduce waste and lower carbon emissions over the long term. By replacing disposable pads and tampons with reusable alternatives, our community helps prevent significant amounts of plastic waste and CO₂ emissions every year.

A single Ruby Cup can be used for up to 10 years, replacing around 2,400 disposable period products. Ruby Cup period underwear can be used for up to 5 years, replacing hundreds of disposable products over its lifetime.

Environmental Impact

In Numbers

Based on the total number of menstrual cups donated by the end of 2025 (155,176 Ruby Cups):

8,224,328 kg

of plastic waste prevented from entering landfills and oceans.

7,758,800 kg

of CO₂ emissions avoided

Millions of disposable pads and tampons replaced by reusable products

What This Means in Real Terms To help visualize the impact of the donated Ruby Cups:

Plastic Waste Saved over 400

fully loaded garbage trucks that never reached landfill

55

blue whales, equivalent weight of the plastic saved

3

Olympic-sized swimming pools filled with plastic waste prevented

CO₂ Emissions Avoided over 4800

flights between London and Los Angeles (per passenger)

10K

cars taken off the road for a year

over 1600

European households’ annual energy use

And this impact reflects only the cups we donated. When considering all Ruby Cup menstrual cups and period underwear currently in use worldwide, the positive environmental impact is even greater.

Our Sustainability Progress 2024–25

Over the past two years, we have taken different steps to reduce environmental impact, improve ethical practices, and make our operations greener.

QR Instructions: Replaced paper instructions with QR codes, cutting paper use and making information easy to access digitally.

Eco-Friendly Packaging: Our menstrual cups now come in 100% recyclable cardboard boxes, certified Cradle to Cradle®, reducing packaging waste.

Shipping Improvements: Switched from airfreight to seafreight for goods from our manufacturer to the warehouse, lowering transport-related emissions.

Ruby Cup became a Carbon Neutral Small Business through Carbon Neutral Britain, offsetting 60 tonnes of CO₂e annually and supporting tree planting projects in the UK and globally.

Ethical Recognition: Scored 100/100 on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Period Products Ethical Comparison Ratings Table and classified as a toprated ethical brand.

Ruby Cup & Carbon Neutral Britain Since December 2024, Ruby Cup is proud to be a certified Carbon Neutral Small Business through Carbon Neutral Britain™, a UK programme that offsets the full footprint of small businesses—including electricity, waste, delivery, and other operational emissions.

Each year, Ruby Cup neutralizes 60 tonnes of CO₂e and supports tree planting projects, both in the UK and worldwide. Since December 2024, we have helped plant almost 400 trees and supported initiatives that promote clean energy, biodiversity, and education.

This certification reflects Ruby Cup’s mission to reduce environmental impact through reusable period products while actively contributing to climate action.

Highest Ethical Rating Achieved Ruby Cup scored 100 out of 100 on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Period Products Ethical Comparison Ratings Table, the highest rating a brand can achieve.

The Good Shopping Guide is an independent resource that helps consumers identify ethical brands. They assess companies based on their environmental practices, treatment of people and animals, and transparency. Achieving a perfect score means Ruby Cup meets the Guide’s highest standards for ethical products.

Our top rating reflects: Environmentally responsible products that help reduce waste Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly production Fair and safe business practices Transparency and accountability in how we operate

This recognition highlights that choosing Ruby Cup is not only better for individuals but also for the planet and the communities we support.

Thank You A huge thank you to everyone who made these last 2 years’ impact possible.

To our NGO partners: For your dedication, expertise, and tireless work in communities around the world.

Your commitment ensures that our products reach those who need them most.

© BeArtsy / Ruby Cup NGO Partner

To our CSR partners: For your support and belief in our mission, helping us scale impact and reach new communities.

To our resellers and customers: For choosing Ruby Cup and joining us in creating lasting change. Every purchase, every share, every conversation matters.

We couldn’t have done it without all of you.

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