Single-use plastics have recently become a target for environmental action, but no attention has been drawn to menstrual products as they are often not recognised as single-use plastic.
Much of the environmental impact from menstrual products comes from their disposable nature. Historically, women have always felt that menstruation was something to be ashamed of, a taboo which again makes it a difficult subject for a discussion on more sustainable alternatives.
Sanitary pads, where are they ending up?
According to UNEP, close to 20 billion sanitary napkins, tampons and applicators are dumped into North American landfills every year. In India, more than half of India’s women and girls use disposable napkins, translating to 44.9 billion pads per year thrown away.
During her menstruating years, a woman using sanitary pads can generate up to 123 kg of menstrual waste. Are they getting disposed correctly? No. All of this waste, included in medical waste, ends up in landfills. Owing to technological drawbacks, used pads are never segregated properly. This then creates an unsafe environment for the workers in the garbage dumps. The pads, consisting of an alarmingly high amount of plastic, take somewhere between 500 to 800 years to decompose completely. With factories and households all over the nation releasing toxic gases, polluting soil and water, decreasing forest cover and inflicting other forms of destruction to the environment, the problem of menstrual waste filling up landfills is adding to the environmental degradation.
Tampons, more commonly used in Western countries, are significantly quicker to biodegrade at around six months, as they are mostly made from natural materials such as cotton. However, as many brands of tampon now contain plastic within them and are often wrapped in plastic, this compounds the issue.
The change is in our hands
Thankfully, the problem received adequate attention and we have alternatives now which result in far less pollution. In India, multiple sustainable period products are available. Once majority of the women switch to these, the amount of menstrual waste will significantly decrease. The question is, what are they?
Cotton Reusable Pads: The rural population of India has been used cloth pieces as an absorber, no doubt, but now a larger amount of people is switching to this organic, sustainable and naturally produced pads.
- They do not give you rashes on your skin like the conventional commercial pads do.
- They are easy to clean. Wash them like your regular clothes and keep reusing them for a long duration.
- Due to their washability, they are not thrown away in short intervals, drastically reducing the biodegradable waste.
- They are cost efficient. A one-time investment that they are, compared to the plastic containing pads, they are much cheaper.
- Plush, Eco Femme in Auroville are some places you can check out for getting your cloth pads. If you have a sewing machine at home, do consider making your own and reusing your old clothes.
Bamboo Fibre Pads: A newer addition to the sustainable menstrual absorbent, is a genius creation, made of bamboo fibre and corn starch. Although they cost a little more than the conventional ones, their features are such that they become worth it. Similarly, banana and water hyacinth pads are also available.
- Their top layer is breathable and super soft. It discards the foul smell that one may get from a used pad.
- The corn starch is used to make bio plastic which makes the back sheet of a pad.
- There are no chemicals or perfumes used in making of bamboo fibre pads.
- They are bio-degradable, so no trash dump in landfills waiting to get broken down.
- Saathi, Sparkle are manufacturing pads made from bamboo and banana fibre.
Menstrual Cups: Menstrual cups have been around this world for more than a century, the Indian subcontinent has hardly heard of it. To top it off, it is a taboo even in most urban areas because of how it is needed to be inserted in one’s vagina for it to collect the blood. With virginity being such a big deal in our society, anything getting inside a vagina is a no-go. However, the cups made from medical grade silicone is the best way to replace the sanitary pads we currently use.
- A single cup can be used and reused for up to 5 years, reducing waste.
- With the money spent on pads used in one year by a single menstruator, a cup can be bought that would last for years.
- It is easily cleaned by washing with water.
- Brands like PeeSafe, The Sirona Hygiene, Carmesi provide menstrual cups in different sizes.
Using sustainable and organic menstrual products not only benefit the environment, but the human lives too. It provides for employment to women in rural areas, boosts the nation’s economy, makes it easier to manage periods as a whole. If you have the privilege and resources to switch to these sustainable options, do check them out and change the narrative. Bleed without guilt, built without shame!
