2024: Twelve Kick Ass Months at WUKA
Well, what can we say? Yet another year under our belts, and believe us when we tell you, it really was a belter! One of the best things about this time of year is gathering with friends and loved ones to reminisce over the year we’ve just had - so, WUKA family, let’s do just that. Without further ado, here’s our roundup of 2024 - twelve truly kick ass months at WUKA!
January
Like many of you, we partied hard as the clock struck midnight and the world welcomed 2024… but we had a slightly different cause for celebration: we axed the period pants tax!
After almost six years of campaigning, we finally did it - and we cannot thank you enough for your support! Our third campaign to axe the tax kicked off in April 2023, and by the end of the year we had some pretty big names behind us, fighting to make the government understand that periods are NOT a luxury. And we did it!
From January 1st 2024, the tax was axed on period pants, meaning our prices went down so we could pass those savings on to you. And yes, we are STILL celebrating that win!
February
Still high on the success of our axe the tax campaign, February saw us dive head first into new product launches, with the unveiling of our new Stretch™ Cotton period pants and our new Stretch™ for Super Heavy Flow, in time for Endometriosis Awareness Month.
The Stretch™ Cotton period pants are made with super soft cotton, making them naturally hypoallergenic and perfect for anyone with sensitive skin. And our new Stretch™ for super heavy flow are another game changer - able to hold up to 12 tampons worth of blood, providing up to 24 hours leak-free, odour-free protection! Available in high waist or midi brief for adults and in black or navy blue for teens.
March
Earth Hour is a hotly anticipated event here at WUKA, and a chance for us to help more of you make the switch to reusable period undies. This year, once more, we broke all records! For just one hour, we urged our followers to switch off their lights and switch to WUKA - and we halved our prices to make it a complete no-brainer.
As expected, you guys didn’t disappoint, and together we saved three million disposables from hitting landfill and ocean. Amazing!
April
We certainly had a spring in our step in April, as WUKA launched into Boots! We’re still pinching ourselves that WE are the only reusable pants in their stores! This was quite a journey too - five years in the making in fact. But we did it. We’re in Boots - pop in to your local store and see if you can spot us!
April also saw WUKA scooping silver in the Get the Gloss award for best period product too - another accolade for the trophy cabinet, and a fantastic achievement for our best selling multi-size Stretch™ period pants!
May
We knew 2024 was going to be a big year - and May saw even more growth, with two further products launched into our Stretch™ collection: new Stretch™ Boxer Shorts for adults and teens, and new Stretch™ thong for period, pee and sweat.
We’ve been blown away by the love for these two new additions to the Stretch™ family - the Stretch thong
And the awards kept coming! In May, we donned our glad rags for the biggest event n the retail calendar - alongside giant global brands - as finalists in the Grocer Gold awards. The nomination recognised our Axe the Tax campaign, and although we didn’t win officially, just being a finalist is a HUGE achievement and one that we barely dared dream of before.
June
The weather may have had other ideas, but nonetheless June kicked off summer for WUKA! Our best selling period proof swim collection welcomed hot new colours and swim sets too, which proved very popular indeed. In fact, we’re still celebrating record sales - true proof that we’re finally starting to move on from the ‘no tampon, no swim’ way of thinking. At last!
Every WUKA leak-proof swimsuit helps to reduce the amount of plastic-riddled disposables that get dumper or flushed, and end up littering our beaches each year. Did you know that tampons are the third most commonly found piece of rubbish beach cleaners in the UK collect? Gross!
We ended June on a real high with the Beauty Shortlist Eco Awards - winning Eco brand of the Year for our Axe the Tax campaign and Eco product of the year in the sustainable fashion category!
July
With the end of the school year looming in the UK, we launched WUKA for Schools - our comprehensive campaign supporting legislative recommendations to enhance health education for students in both primary and secondary settings.
We’ve got over 600 schools signed up so far, committing to providing more inclusive sustainable education to students as part of PHSE curriculum. So if you know a teacher, or you want your child’s school to get involved head over now to register.
August
The Axe the Tax campaign may have been done and dusted, but we weren’t about to just sit back and relax! In August we launched our Periods are Not a Penalty campaign and petition, urging the government to remove VAT from period sportswear.
We may have axed the tax on period pants, but we can’t hide our frustration that the government failed to see period sportswear as a necessity too. VAT on these items is a financial, social and emotional barrier for many - and yet anther reason why women and girls drop out of sport.
Buoyed on by a momentous summer of sport, and the first ever gender equals Olympics in history, we felt that the time was right to launch the next phase of our fight for menstrual equity on and off the pitch. To date, we’ve got 21 kick ass organisations on board showing their support (including Basketball England, British Elite Athletics Association, Rounders England, alongside current partners Scottish Gymnastics and Black Swimming Association) , and more than 1,300 have signed the petition. We’ll keep you posted on our progress!
September
September saw us extending our trophy cabinet AGAIN, with a huge win at the Marie Claire Sustainability Awards. We came away with Best Period Brand, which honestly is amazing. To be recognised by such a massive player, a globally renowned magazine… we’re still a little shocked, but immensely proud too!
October
We’ve always said that menstrual education should encompass the whole cycle - from the very first period, to the very last period, and everything else in between. WUKA is here for all of life’s messy, sweaty moments - whether you have a period or not, as October’s new additions highlights perfectly!
So, what’s new this month?
- WUKA re-usable maternity nursing pads - made from premium materials with a multi-layered design, our breast pads are leak-proof, odour-proof, breathable and soft. We designed them with a contoured fit so they ergonomically shape to conform to your body’s natural curves, and so they stay put too.
- Cooling Jersey pyjama t-shirt dress - made with Lyocell, which helps to reduce body temperature by up to 2.5 degrees. Perfect for sweaty nights, whether due to your menstrual cycle or perimenopause hot flushes.
- Cooling Jersey pyjama t-shirt and shorts - again, made with Lyocell so they’re moisture-wicking and cooling. Top and shorts are available separately too.
November
Ok, so we don’t do Black Friday. We cannot stand the waste and the frenzied over consumption of this time of year… so we do our own thing instead.
We drop our prices so that more of you can make the switch to reusables, so you can introduce friends and family, and so that you can top up your own stash too. We want you to make sustainable purchases - and this year, you broke all records! More of you than ever before chose to shop ethically, and helped to save over three million pads and tampons from landfill and ocean. THANK YOU.
And before the month was over, November saw another award win - this time from Country & Townhouse, who crowned us their Future Icons winner 2025!
December
And so on to the last month of 2024… and there are no signs of slowing down! After cooling off in October, we turned up the heat in December - with new WUKA Heat Patches for rapid period pain relief.
Our patches are all natural, and a completely safe pain relief option for all ages. They heat quickly and stay warm for up to 12 hours, providing targeted and soothing relief when cramps have you doubled over. And the patches are just the start. Watch this space for more exciting launches from the WUKA Care collection!
And that’s a wrap! 2024 has been another whirlwind, but we wouldn’t have it any other way! We truly cannot wait to embark upon 2025 with you all. Thank you for being here, for believing in WUKA and for helping us to rid the planet of nasty disposables, one pair of pants at a time!
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