Overview

In the large efforts to clean up India, numerous activities are being carried out by various NGOs & by common people to make India clean and hygienic. Some are trying to clean up the beaches of Mumbai, some are putting their efforts to provide solutions to heavily loaded garbage on corner of street and some trying to clean up nearby places/ society that they are living in.

We at “Kartavya Charitable Trust” intend to focus on spreading awareness of proper method of disposing sanitary pads. At present, there is no proper method established and it’s been disposed in very unhygienic way. With animals like cows and dogs scraping through human waste, it’s utterly disgusting to see how it’s impacting not only us but innocent animals as well. It’s harming whole environment including soil, air and water. With rain and other elements as such, it causes the diseases among people.

Here, “Kartavya Charitable Trust” is taking great efforts to convince each female to place an incinerator, (i.e. pad burning machine) in her home to dispose menstrual waste. It might be cotton cloth which is reusable after every wash, cotton pad, commercial sanitary pads or any fiber pad (i.e. bamboo fiber and banana fiber). It might take long time for people to accept this change. But once all females get habitual of using incinerator every time for disposing sanitary pad, it would be great revolution in “Women Power Empowerment”, “Swaccha Bharat Abhiyan” and "Each home will be clean home". Environment will be free from used pads and diapers.

Environment Friendly Solutions

• We should start using bio degradable sanitary napkins made from fiber which saves female’s body from many diseases.
• Try maximum to dispose each sanitary napkin in incinerator only.
• Do not flush or burn or mix it with wet or household garbage.
• Discard in a trash that is out of reach of pets & animals.
• Clay and Cement Incinerators:
  These are used in Gujarat villages by “Vatsalya Foundation”. It is a big welcomed step in menstrual hygiene management. It is named “Ashuddhinashak” which burns many sanitary napkins at a time without creating any smoke.
  Advantages:

  • It is eco-friendly and cheap innovation for women who live in rural areas.
  • It doesn’t consume electricity.

  Disadvantages:

  • To use this incinerator is little critical and risky for girls around 10- 14 years of age.
  • It needs bigger space. It can’t be placed in homes. Villages have backyard or compound in houses but in cities it is tough to place. In short, it is more useful in rural areas.

  
  

  
• Electrical Incinerators:
  These are used according to eco-friendly guidelines. They should be operated at certain specific temperature around 800 ºc so that they emit less harmful gases. They should be installed in schools, institutions, slum areas and at community level.
  Advantages:

  • It’s easily operated by any age group.
  • It creates less pollution.
  • It can be placed in bathroom or any corner of house. No fear or shyness or embarrassment while using it.

  
  

  

Background

In the large efforts to clean up India, numerous activities being carried out by various NGOs as well as by common people to make India clean and hygienic. Initiative with strict action plan has been executed for plastic ban also.

Despite of all these drives, at present, there is no proper way for disposing sanitary pads and it’s been disposed in very unhygienic method. It is made up of plastic, wood cellulose and silicon paper etc. and is therefore, non- biodegradable waste. This creates the problem of classifying it into separate waste categories (“Dry waste” OR “domestic hazardous waste”). Also, Wrapping another layer of plastic or paper adds to the issue of managing waste.

This waste ends up getting “illegally” burned or chewed upon by the animals like cows and dogs. This is utterly disgusting to see how it’s impacting not only us but the innocent animals as well. With rain and other elements as such, it also causes the diseases among the people.

Motivation

Vishakha (35 years old) and her son Shubh (13 years old) daily used to feed a stray cow. On a sad day, indeed a very sad one, Shubh and her sister Ananya (7 years old) found out that the cow was finding her food in the garbage bin. Accidentally cow’s jaws grabbed a piece of undisposed sanitary pad which horrified the situation even worse. Shubh on seeing this immediately threw the piece away and queried Vishakha about it. Kids were too young but still Vishakha explained them the truth.

This incident lit a bright torch in the mind of Vishakha and then she tied a knot to work on this & bring awareness globally about sanitary waste to save environment, animals and our mother earth.

Shreemati Meena and her husband Shri. Atul Mehta lives in Surat. One day, she saw two poor girls searching used pads in dump yard. Meenaben got shocked and ask them purpose of searching used pads from dustbin. She got shocked to hear girls’ answer. The poor girls said that during menstrual cycle days they can’t afford sanitary napkins. So, after searching from dump yard, they take it home, wash and dry in sunlight and then reuse it. After hearing this shocking reality, she decided to distribute sanitary napkins and hygiene kit free of cost in slum areas to every female. Later she became popular as “PAD DADI” all over India and rewarded with many national awards.

Need of Awareness

This is true example. After placing a big capacity incinerator in a college, very few females took efforts to use incinerator in correct way to dispose used sanitary napkin. Rest all females still threw wrapped or unwrapped used pads in dustbin which is exactly located next to incinerator. They still did not use incinerator, even though the care taker of restroom (the female who cleans and washes the restroom) requested them to use incinerator. Those females ignore her request and threw used pads in dustbin.

Why? It is because they all are not habitual at home of using incinerator. Females are not aware of this machine. Also, they are not aware of disadvantages of throwing used sanitary napkins openly.

That’s why Kartavya Charitable Trust has decided to bring awareness to bring incinerator in each home. Once each female gets used to dispose sanitary napkin in such a systematic way, it will be a big revolutionary step in “women empowerment”, “Swacha Bharat Abhiyan” and “Each home will definitely be a clean home”.

In today’s world, men & teachers can play crucial role in creating awareness regarding menstruation & menstrual waste management.

Objectives

• There is no proper protocol in place - incineration or burial. We at Kartavya Charitable Trust intend to focus on spreading awareness of proper method of disposing sanitary pads (using Incinerator) in every household.
• Spreading Awareness of proper disposal of Sanitary Pads
• Promoting cleanliness and healthy environment
• Putting vital efforts contributing in Swacha Bharat Abhiyaan through this activity and social awareness
• Providing avenue for convenient and hygienic way for disposal

Scope

• We target to convey the message locally in Surat / Mumbai / Vapi / Nasik first through Kartavya Charitable trust members and other volunteers willing to be part of the campaign.
• After well acceptance by these cities, we will spread it throughout the nation covering small towns also

Benefits

• Cleaner Environment – Disposing used pads in proper method would lead to cleaner environment.
• Convenience for women
• Getting rid of conventional methods of disposal, no more clogging and jammed drainage pipes or Garbage bins
• Incinerators create less pollution.
• They should be operated at specific temperature around 800°C so that they emit less harmful gasses.
• They can be installed in schools, institutions, and slum areas and at community level