We developed the BetterCycle program to ensure that our plant-based products do not end up in landfills. We’ll pick up your used Sparkle plant-based products once a month and transform them into compost or biochar, both of which can be used as a soil amendment.

Place your used period products inside Sparkle’s compostable disposal bags. Tie the compostable disposal bags securely and place them inside the BetterCycle disposal box. Leave the disposal box at your front door on your scheduled pick up day. Our drivers will pick up your used Sparkle period products and take them to our nearest processing facility.

The cost for each pick up is $14.99 plus the cost of Sparkle’s compostable disposal bags.

We’ll pick up your used period products once a month. For each region, we have scheduled two pick up days per month for the collection of your used period products - this means that you can either choose your pick up date from the first two weeks of the month, or the last two weeks of the month (based on your period cycle).

Once you select a pick up date (for example, the first Thursday of each month), we will pick up your used period products every four weeks. We will send our drivers on the same day of the week, every month, on your scheduled service day. In addition, we will send you a reminder a day before your pick up date so that you can place your disposal box outside your doorstep on your pick up day.

We also know that things could sometimes change! Feel free to reach out to our customer service team if you need to switch your pick up days.

We recommend placing your BetterCycle box on your front doorstep (within a few feet of your doorstep so that our drivers can easily locate it).

If you require a different pickup location or have any special instructions for our drivers, please send an email at disposal@getsparkle.life. For example, if you place the BetterCycle box inside another bin due to wildlife constraints or local regulations or if you live in a gated community with an access code, please let us now in advance.

Please make sure your used period products are securely placed inside the disposal bags and tied properly before placing them inside of the BetterCycle box. Boxes that are damaged or wet will not be picked up, as damaged boxes are a liability for our pick up drivers.

Our drivers will pick up your BetterCycle box between 6 AM and 6 PM on your assigned pick up day.

We will send you an email reminder two days before your pick up date in case you forget your upcoming pick up. Simply place your BetterCycle box filled with your used Sparkle period products at your front door the night before your pick up date.

We aim to make your pick up process as seamless as possible. Therefore, to ensure that we do not disturb you, our drivers will not call you or ring your doorbells. If you require a different pick up location, have any special instructions that our drivers might need to know (for example If you place the BetterCycle box inside another bin due to wildlife or local regulations or if you live in a gated community with an access code, please send an email to disposal@getsparkle.life with your details). Our drivers will not look into unmarked bins to search for your BetterCycle boxes. If you do place the BetterCycle box inside another bin, please ensure that the bin is clearly labeled as BetterCycle so that our drivers can easily identify it.

If you need to skip your upcoming pick up, simply email us at disposal@getsparkle.life 48 hours before your scheduled pick up date to request this.

To ensure that we are able to offer low pick up costs and run the program effectively, we plan the pickup routes from 6 AM to 6 PM in each service area. If we do not receive a request for skipping a pick up 48 hours before your scheduled pick up day at disposal@getsparkle.life, our drivers will drive each route end-to-end to collect BetterCycle boxes from every customer on that specific route, regardless of individual customers forgetting to put their BetterCycle boxes out. Therefore, please ensure that you put your boxes out the night before.

If you forget to put the BetterCycle boxes out on your scheduled pick up dates and would like to schedule another pick up, you can reach out to us at disposal@getsparkle.life.

You can cancel your BetterCycle pick up at any time, for any reason. 

You can simply cancel the BetterCycle program subscription from your account, or by emailing us at disposal@getsparkle.life.

Composting is the natural decomposition process of organic matter that transforms biodegradable material into nutrient-rich top soil, water, and carbon dioxide through the action of microorganisms, bacteria, and fungi.

The natural/home composting process typically occurs at a lower temperature (around 68-86 degrees Fahrenheit or 20-30 degree Celsius), which takes anywhere between a few months to a few years for organic material to break down. 

The industrial composting process, on the other hand, occurs at a much higher temperature (generally, 122-140 degrees Fahrenheit or 50-60 degree C), which can break down the biodegradable material in around 12-16 weeks.

The industrial composting process optimizes composting conditions (such as temperature, turning, aeration, etc.) which allow microorganisms to thrive and accelerate the natural process of decomposition so that the biodegradable material can break down faster.

Biochar is made using a process called pyrolysis through which biomass is heated at very high temperatures with little to no oxygen (this thermochemically transforms the biomass into a stable char in just a few hours). 

This biochar can be used as a soil amendment as it is highly porous and provides ideal conditions for microorganisms to thrive in it; it also increases the water-holding capacity of soil and reduces the need for fertilizers.

Composting any materials containing human waste or bodily fluids requires high composting temperatures (around 68-86 degrees Fahrenheit or 20-30 degree Celsius) and specific composting conditions - this temperature is crucial to safely kill harmful bacteria and pathogens.

Backyard/home composting process typically occurs at a much lower temperature (around 68-86 degrees Fahrenheit or 20-30 degree Celsius), and does not reach the high temperature required to kill the pathogens found in human waste.

To ensure that the compost or top soil produced from composting our plant-based period products is safe and pathogen-free, we partner with licensed industrial composting facilities that are equipped to process specific waste streams containing human waste.

Since backyard composting does not create the specific composting conditions for safely composting human waste and killing harmful pathogens, you cannot compost your used period products in your backyard.

Municipal/curbside composting programs typically accept food waste, lawn trimmings, cardboard pieces, etc which use a very different composting process compared to the composting conditions that are required to safely process human waste and kill harmful bacteria/pathogens. 

Mixing used period products that contain human waste and bodily fluids contaminates the composting stream, so used period products should never be mixed with city compost bins/green bins. In many municipalities, it is often illegal to place items containing human waste, such as period products, in the city compost bins.