NORA Reusable Period Pants Celebrate 7 Years by Bringing All Production Back to the UK
Join us for cake and hear about the journey from nappies to period pants, as our founders share the NORA story.
Did you know our journey with reusable period products began in 2016? Driven by concerns over toxins and waste associated with disposable period products, our co-founder Fiona decided to venture beyond reusable nappies and created Bloom & Nora, TotsBots very own reusable period pants brand.
The past 7 years have been incredibly busy, and we couldn't have done it without the support of our many loyal customers, some of whom have been with us since the beginning at TotsBots. In fact, some of the babies who used to use TotsBots Nappies are now all grown up and using NORA reusable period pads and pants, that is something we are super proud of!
Commenting on our journey, Fiona said, "Taking everything we had learned in our 16 years of designing and making reusable nappies (let's face it, they tackle a messier job!), we started off with simple bamboo reusable period pads and gradually built up our product range, and customer base along the way. We became suppliers to SUMA Wholefoods, Boots, Planet Organic, Holland & Barrett, Spark E tail, and appointed an EU distributor. Additionally, we joined forces with Amazon and numerous independent eco-friendly stores across the UK.”
In 2020, we took a significant step forward by becoming suppliers to the DofE Period Poverty scheme. This initiative aims to provide pupils with easy and free access to period products at school or college. It really is great to be part of a scheme with such an important mission. Not only are we helping to break down stigmas and ensure that no young person's education is disrupted by their period, but we are also raising awareness about reusable period products across a very wide group.
Summer 2022 marked another milestone as we rebranded ourselves as NORA. At the same time we expanded our range by introducing cups and reusable period pants made from organic cotton and waterproof fabrics crafted from recycled plastic waste. It was a natural next step and offering a bigger range of options makes it even easier for people to make the switch.
Then in July 2023, we became approved suppliers to the eXcel Scotland framework. This means that we now provide free reusable period products to all schools and universities across the central belt of Scotland. As a Glasgow-born company and manufacturer, we are proud to be involved in such a scheme, especially in our local community. Normalising reusables at the start of people's periods is crucial, and by showcasing eco-friendly alternatives and encouraging future generations to move away from the disposable mindset, we can make a lasting impact.
Last but definitely not least, after buying back the brand from private equity firm True Global in March, we were able to reverse some of the changes made under their ownership. One major move was shifting period pant production from Sri Lanka to our Glasgow factory. We are delighted to announce that as of October 2023 all NORA reusable period pants and pads will have the made in UK label on them. Magnus, our co-founder is particularly pleased with this accomplishment (the factory is his baby!):
"We are so happy and relieved to have finally reached this stage. It has required a very big push to get this over the line, with a significant investment in equipment and training to transition from only producing the pads. It is a great achievement for the production team and we are very proud of their efforts, they are too and so they should be! It gives us all such a buzz to see bustling UK production lines instead of just boxes of stock coming into the warehouse from overseas. It’s great to have that one under our belt!"
As we reflect on the past 7 years, we are excited to see what the future holds for NORA. We are super grateful to all our lovely customers for being a part of our journey. Here's to the next 7 years of making a difference to the future of our planet with reusable period pants, one small change at a time!
