The unspoken story of sanitary pads
PERSONAL HYGIENE What is the best way to dispose of sanitary napkins?
NEW DELHI: Yes, periods are occasionally inconvenient. But what is often more inconvenient is disposing soiled sanitary napkins.
Women, both rural and urban, face this problem every month and civic authorities struggle to find a safe way to handle and dispose the staggering amount of sanitary waste generated each month. While some women wrap it in plastic or paper and dispose it with domestic garbage. Some flush it down the drain or throw it into water bodies.
“The cate gorisation of sanitary waste is an issue, whether it is biomedical or plastic waste,” says Swati Singh Sambyal, senior research associate at the centre for science and environment.
According to the municipal solid waste (management and handling) Rules, 2000, soiled napkins, diapers, condoms and blood-soaked cotton are household waste that should be segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable components before being disposed.
The bio-medical waste (management and handling) Rules, 1998, however, categorises items contaminated with blood and bodily fluids—including cotton, gauze, soiled plaster casts, linen and bedding—as bio-medical waste that should be incinerated, autoclaved or microwaved to destroy contaminants. Tracking disposal Sanitary napkins are collected as household waste by garbage collectors and segregated, manually. “Waste-pickers separate soiled napkins from recyclable items by hand, exposing themselves to micro-organisms like E. coli, salmonella, staphylococcus, HIV and pathogens that cause hepatitis and tetanus,” Sambyal says. After segregation, it is buried in a landfill on the outskirts of cities.
“The problem with burying sanitary napkins is that almost 90% of it made of is plastic, which is non-biodegradable” Sambyal adds. The thin top layer, known as the dry-weave top sheet, is made of a plastic polymer called polypropylene.
The padding is mostly wood pulp mixed with super absorbent polymers and the leak-proof layer is made from impermeable polyethylene, according to Pondicherry-based Ecofemme, which works on menstrual hygiene management.
Down to Earth magazine estimates that 432 million pads are disposed every month and since they are non-biodegradable, they will stay in the landfills for about 800 years. Safe use The top layer may cause rash and irritation. “Ideally, you should change your napkin once it is completely soaked or in three hours, whichever is earlier,” says Dr Manju Gupta, gynaecologist at Jaypee Hospital, Noida.
Only 12% of India’s 335 million menstruating women use disposable napkins, a 2011 study titled ‘Sanitary protection: Every woman’s health right’ estimated, with many using unhygienic alternatives such as contaminated cloth.
“Prolonged use can cause contaminants and toxins to be absorbed by the vaginal and labial walls, which are highly vascular and have a tendency for greater absorbency,” says Bindu Mohanty, co-founder, Earth & Us, Auroville. Some NGOs offer reusable cotton sanitary napkins and menstrual cups, but using these is not always feasible.
“Cloth pads are not a permanent solution. The manufacturers must take responsibility and strive to find a biodegradable sanitary solution,” says Anshu Gupta, founder of Goonj, an NGO which is spearheading the Not Just a Piece of Cloth campaign.