Reusable. Period.

Hayley: Oh, hey, Reggie.  
Reggie: What a beautiful vase.
Hayley: It's a menses pot.
Reggie: Okay, that's cool.
                                                                                        -American Dad, "Bully For Steve"

American Dad is one of those shows I watch when I just need my mind to go as blank as it will allow. This excerpt from the episode, "Bully For Steve", is something I never thought too much about until recently. I never asked, "What is a menses pot?"

A menses pot seems to be a piece of stoneware pottery used to soak soiled re-usable menstrual pads.

Reusable menstrual products don't seem to be common knowledge and the idea, for many, seems disgusting. Like many reusable products these are both wallet and earth friendly. If you're no stranger to cloth diapering adding a few more items to your wet bag, or even a separate one, may not be a big deal for you. One of the most popular reasons a lot of people tend to choose disposable products is for convenience.

One form of menstrual reusable is the cloth pad, which depending on where you get it from will sometimes come with it's own miniature, portable, wet bag. For those that don't, have no fear, with a little creative folding it can be folded into a neat little envelope.

"Now do you roll your own tampons or do you pay someone to roll em' for you?"
                                                                                                     - The Cleveland Show  

Francine Smith: Well, I'm doing my part to save this family some money. Look! I'm rolling my own tampons. I just saved 21 cents!
Stan Smith: That's my girl-- soaking up the savings!
Francine: I'll just shove this in my box.
Steve Smith: Mom, just put your box on the table.
Francine: While we're eating? Oh, okay.
Roger:(Italian accent): A-good a-morning, everybody. Eh... eh...eh...eh... eh...
Francine: Roger, only one scoop of chocolate mix. Everyone has to cut back.
Roger:(grunts) Why should I have to?! Stan spends $400 a week in gas for his SUV!  
Francine: Stan, I can't believe this! I'm shoving recycled couch stuffing up my Jack Johnson while you're burning through cash! You need to get rid of that SUV and get a hybrid right away!
                                                             - American Dad, "Don't Look A Smith Horse In The Mouth"

Another example of episodes I've seen at least three times and never thought much of what was said. Reusable tampons and inter-labial pads aren't made from recycled couch cushions, they're most commonly made using cotton. Disposable tampons pass for appropriate to wear while swimming but it's strongly recommended that you do not wear it's reusable option while swimming.

Still interested in a reusable product but looking for something that might be teetering on the border of a product like a tampon or a pad? Other options include sea sponges (hard to get much more natural than that) and menstrual cups. Sea sponges require moistening before insertion and work similar to a tampon and a menstrual cup is a soft, bell-shaped, cup that is inserted much like a diaphragm.

For more detailed information about the subject check out the incredibly informative site, ecomenses.