The invention of at-home pregnancy tests was a huge step for reproductive autonomy for women. The ability to detect pregnancy early and discreetly in the privacy of one’s home was revolutionary, but the wasteful plastic design of these test sticks has remained largely unchanged and still leaves the potential for them to be unintentionally discovered in a bathroom trash can.
Now, home pregnancy tests are getting a discreet green makeover with Lia, the world’s first flushable and biodegradable pregnancy test. Like other home pregnancy tests, Lia analyzes urine for small amounts of the hormone hCG and is over 99 percent accurate at detecting pregnancy.
The plastic-free design is made from the same plant fibers used in toilet paper and because it weighs as much as four squares of two-ply toilet paper, it can be safely flushed after use for total privacy. If you do want to keep your pregnancy test for your memorabilia, you can even cut off the part of the stick with urine on it for a more hygenic keepsake.
A single pregnancy test may not seem like a significant amount of plastic, but when you consider that 20 million home pregnancy tests are sold each year in the US alone, that waste really adds up. If you want to get your hands on a Lia test, you can buy a two-pack of sustainable sticks online for just $14.
Image source: Lia
