India has 336 million menstruating women out of which 64% are using disposable sanitary napkins. So 121 million women use an average of 8 pads per menstrual cycle resulting in ~ 12 billion pads per year.
Almost 30% of this waste is disposed with routine waste, 28% disposed in the open, 30% burnt and remaining buried. Its a ticking time bomb of unmanageable waste and diseases.
At the same time it is important to address the 36% of the population that is still using unhygienic alternatives leading to loss of life, economic loss and major health repercussions.
Could you please provide more insight specifically regarding the 36% of the population that continues to use unhygienic alternatives? Who are these individuals, what is their persona, and why don’t they have access to better solutions?
Majority of these women are economically marginalised menstruators (women, girls, others who menstruate) who lack resources and information necessary to uphold adequate menstrual hygiene practices.
The need for the scalability of menstrual hygiene solutions is really high as 36% of menstruators living in rural India are still using clothes or unhygienic means to stem their menstrual flow. Almost 3/4th of the girls are unaware about periods on the onset of their 1st period. 61% cannot afford purchasing sanitary pads because of financial restrictions and the topic is shrouded in many many layers of stigma and misinformation.
Thanks for sharing this, Soumya! I just watched the video and realized the enormity of the issue – it’s truly an eye-opener. YouTube recommended another video to me afterward, which was even more detailed and intriguing.
How have you been contributing to support these people?
The issue of non-biodegradable sanitary pad waste in India is a significant concern, given the large number of pads being used and disposed of each year. The global Whisper [ P&G Pads ] market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of ~11% over the forecast period.
Several practices can be implemented to reduce this waste and promote better disposal.
The use of biodegradable or reusable options such as menstrual cups or cloth pads. These products can significantly reduce the amount of waste generated and can be more cost-effective in the long run. A good amount of startups including you guys are working in this segment. I feel adoption of alternative menstrual products such as biodegradable or reusable sanitary pads can be challenging
Promotion of the proper disposal of non-biodegradable sanitary pads. This can be achieved through education campaigns that emphasize the importance of disposing of these products responsibly. This includes using separate bins for sanitary waste, ensuring that the waste is properly wrapped, and ensuring that it is disposed of in a way that prevents it from being washed into water bodies.
It is also essential to work towards improving waste management infrastructure in India. This includes building and maintaining proper waste disposal facilities, implementing effective recycling programs, and investing in research and development of new technologies that can help to reduce waste and promote sustainable practices. One of the case studies is PadCare Labs - https://www.padcarelabs.com/
Addressing the issue of non-biodegradable sanitary pad waste in India requires a multifaceted approach that includes promoting alternative products, improving disposal practices, and investing in waste management infrastructure. By taking these steps, we can work towards a more sustainable and healthier future for all.
Indeed, there is stigma, taboo, awkwardness and even self-censoring around menstruation. This additionally exacerbates the challenge of dealing with sanitary waste.
There are multiple orgs (menstrupedia, stonesoup, Plog Raj, including partner orgs, who have been engaging with women and especially young girls to promote safe menstruation practices + highlight the waste problem. In Karnataka, the health/RKSK dpt was working on a pilot to promote menstrual cups and biodegradable pads to achieve zero-sanitary waste districts too.
Until we get to a point of substantial circular transition in menstrual products, @Ajinkya_Dhariya padcare kind of innovations will be needed to deal with the waste problem.
We are a grassroots NGO with presence in 10,000 villages in south-east Karnataka with a reach of 4.36 lakh women. We are planning on delivering curriculum on MHM and talk about alternatives among these women and also see if we can tie up with an organisation that can provide subsidised menstrual cups. I feel moving away from disposables is the best alternative. The younger girls will not use cup and for that segment definitely the we can look at the padcarelabs model. Does anyone know the price and what capacity they have? When I click, website asking for more details to access more details to show a demo.
We’ve worked with over 5.5 lac rural women and girls with awareness curriculums that focus on seven core topics that have been identified after extensive surveys.
Additionally we focus on intergenerational impact that can help break the cycle of myths, taboos and misinformation. Off late, we are also focusing on awareness for family units I.e. including men and boys in the conversation. This is leading to significant behaviour shifts in the right direction.
In addition to the awareness shifts, we are providing antibacterial reusable menstrual pads that provide a hygienic product choice for women.
It allows a hygienic, cost effective and environment friendly solution.
It’ll be good to connect Uthara! I’m on 9650108334 and if you’re in Bangalore I’m around for the next 2 days.
We’ve worked with over 5.5 lac rural women and girls with awareness curriculums that focus on seven core topics that have been identified after extensive surveys.
Additionally we focus on intergenerational impact that can help break the cycle of myths, taboos and misinformation. Off late, we are also focusing on awareness for family units I.e. including men and boys in the conversation. This is leading to significant behaviour shifts in the right direction.
In addition to the awareness shifts, we are providing antibacterial reusable menstrual pads that provide a hygienic product choice for women.
It allows a hygienic, cost effective and environment friendly choice.
Mari, we set up a decentralised model of production in the initial years and the problems were :
Our reusable pads are very technically designed since they can be reused up to 2 years and with putting all the hygiene checks - the production cost was expensive and the process of maintaining quality was tedious.
It took away the benefits of economies of scale - which makes the pads very very affordable and cheapest amongst alternatives
The women became reliant on salaries and buy backs from us and no one focused on community level sales.
So how we solved for this is that we create Baala Associates who are Village Level Women Entrepreneurs and they sell the Baala pads which is produced centrally and they also become spokespeople for menstrual hygiene within their communities.
This helps them earn a commision on each unit sold, provides communities a menstrual hygiene ambassador and allows us to sustain the work in the community.
