The stark reality of environmental impact of menstrual products
The reality of the environmental impact of menstrual products is shocking. In a landfill, it would take 500 to 800 years to breakdown the disposable pads while the plastic used in them never biodegrade. Over and above this each menstruator uses and disposes somewhere between 5000 and 15,000 pads and tampons in their lifetime. If you study the raw materials used in disposable menstrual products you will be surprised that they contain 90% plastic and this mostly ends up in landfills. Also, the packaging of the product leads to major waste. Roughly 400 pounds of product packaging is thrown per menstruator in their lifetime.
Why menstrual products adversely impact our environment?
The complexity associated with measuring environmental impact of menstrual products makes it challenging to find a solution. Also, there is a lack of scientific tools to study the environmental impact of disposing of menstrual products. The global environmental impact of menstrual products is due to the raw materials, energy and water used during the manufacturing of these products, the things used in the product, the packaging and how they are disposed of worldwide? Thus, it’s not only the disposing of the products but also the manufacturing that impacts our environment.
Disposable pads and tampons are manufactured with cotton and rayon or synthetic fibres, and polyester. Tampons contain plastic as well, though the core is made of cotton the applicators are made of plastic. Pads will generally have more plastic than tampons and they have leak proof bases with extra absorbent strips.
The real challenge of disposing menstrual products
The challenge is disposing of the tampons and pads – they are thrown out as solid waste thus ending up in landfills or burnt in incinerators in order to generate energy. They might end up in water when flushed out of toilet. Disposable pads cause highest environmental impact. This is due to the mineral /fossil fuel depletion that is cause while they are manufactured, the carbon footprint and the waste of the products when disposed.
The reality of recyclable menstrual products
There is a lot of marketing done where plastic tampons and pads are advertised as “recyclable” but they too end up in landfills. The materials used during manufacturing make it impossible to be recycled. The municipal waste management methods are all different and there isn’t any unanimous agreement on what is the best way to dispose and discard these menstrual products thus, it leads to unsafe disposable methods.
These period products significantly impact our oceans and marine biology. When these disposable products and the plastic packaging breakdown micro plastics get produced. These micro plastics change the marine ecosystem and become a threat to the ocean biomes. Single use pads and menstrual products and their packaging are commonly found on beaches and oceans.
The best and simplest way to dispose of sanitary napkin is provide sanitary bins and disposable units. Similar to disposable units offered by Naree Care especially at workplaces, public and private spaces. These special bins are created especially for menstrual hygiene products and include a lid to avoid the strong odour and they also maintain hygiene. There are touch free options that are convenient and minimize the spread of germs.
Innovative Eco-friendly menstrual products
There is a market for eco-friendly menstrual products and companies have used innovative alternatives to manufacture them with biodegradable materials like organic cotton, bamboo and hemp. These ingredients or raw materials decompose faster and lessen the long-term environmental impact. Lot of innovation is being introduced to recycle and upcycle disposable sanitary pads. This field is still advancing and is truly a blessing to humankind and our ecosystem. Some companies have come up with systems that segregate and recycle materials in the sanitary napkins.
This method focuses on the following system
Mechanical recycling:
The sanitary pads are recycled and separated into three parts – cotton, plastic and absorbent materials. But there is a risk associated with contaminated body fluids so at present this method is mostly being experimented.
Chemical recycling:
The plastic and polymers of the sanitary pads are broken into basic building blocks.
Biological recycling:
It uses microorganisms to decompose the organic parts of the sanitary pads.
Upcycling:
This method is creative and repurposes the materials used in the sanitary pads and creates new products. Like sanitary napkins are transformed to eco-friendly insulations, biodegradable plastics or may be fabrics as well.
What are the sustainable menstrual hygiene products?
- Reusable pads are made of synthetic and natural fibres and they last for 5 years. It requires clean water to wash these products.
- Menstrual cups are made from medical grade silicone and rubber. They last for 10 years. They collect blood and are placed internally. When these cups are used, clean water is needed to wash them and reuse. These have the lowest adverse impact on the environment.
- Period underwear or pants are synthetic or made of natural fibres. They last for 2 years and need to be washed clean before reuse.
We have made an attempt to give a clear picture about the challenges of recycling menstrual products, its impact and solutions. If you wish to order menstrual disposal bins get in touch with our team at Naree Care. We can provide a sustainable solution for you thus, taking a step ahead together to create the least environmental impact.