: Why One Woman Decided to Launch a Menstrual Hygiene Kit After Her Shift to Cloth Pads #IndiaNEWS #Environment This article has been sponsored by Avni Several reports state that a single woman generates

Why One Woman Decided to Launch a Menstrual Hygiene Kit After Her Shift to Cloth Pads #IndiaNEWS #Environment
This article has been sponsored by Avni

Several reports state that a single woman generates up to 125 kgs of non-biodegradable waste in the form of sanitary napkins, throughout her menstruating years.
When calculated, the 355 million women and adolescent girls who use sanitary products every month generate a huge volume of waste that would take hundreds of years to decompose.
But, the problem with the management of sanitary waste does not end at this. Even before the accumulation of waste, the very process of its disposal poses an irreplaceable hazard both to the environment and to the people directly involved in its management.
To get a clearer glimpse, all one needs to do is look inwards each time they dispose off a used sanitary pad improperly, without a care about what might happen next.
A social entrepreneur, Sujata Pawar, sheds light on the aftermath of this practice. “Once disposed off, along with the rest of the garbage, waste pickers have to segregate everything by hand, including soiled sanitary napkins. And they often do so without any protective gear. Exposure to this, especially with the lack of protection, can pose a huge threat to their health in the long run,??? she says.
A report by Pune-based NGO SWaCH confirms this, stating that waste pickers in Pune alone have to segregate more than 20 tonnes of sanitary waste daily. And while doing so they are exposed to disease-causing microorganisms like Salmonella, E Coli, Staphylococcus, HIV and pathogens that cause tetanus and hepatitis.
But the solution to this challenge is rather simple. “All one needs to do is care enough to change and responsibly dispose of their sanitary waste in a covered paper bag marking a big red dot,??? says Sujata, reiterating the message of the Red Dot campaign that was initiated by SWaCH in 2017 to combat this problem.
Sujata’s enterprise Avni that specialises in alternative menstrual products fully aligns with the campaign and has made several strides in empowering waste-pickers, while also promoting sustainable menstrual practices. Through her range of innovative feminine care products, Sujata is providing a solution that is eco friendly, healthy and guilt-free.
Embracing My Avni

The inspiration behind Avni comes from her personal experiences with various sanitary products.
I started my first periods with regular homemade cloth pads. Later in school, I had to shift to using disposable sanitary napkins sold commercially. While using the latter was convenient, and I stuck to it for many years, sanitary pads would often cause discomfort in the form of rashes and redness. That was one of the reasons that pushed me to look for better alternatives, Sujata says.