Introduction
Over time, the dialogue on menstrual health in India has become more intensive, but still one significant part it has been unnoticed—menstrual waste management. Our awareness activities in the Prazna Foundation go way beyond the distribution of sanitary products or creating sessions. We want to encourage the adoption of healthy practices that are environmentally friendly and personal health safe in the long run. The CSR collaboration with BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. makes this task even more powerful.
It is on National Pollution Control Day that the link between menstrual hygiene and environmental protection, waste management, and pollution control should be discussed the most. By continuing to neglect this bond, the destruction will be not only for women and girls but also for the very ecosystems that provide a habitat for our communities.
The Reality of Menstrual Waste: A Scale to Measure
Every year India produces nearly 12.3 billion disposable sanitary pads. This is equal to around 113,000 tons of menstrual waste each year, the greater part of which goes to landfills. It’s alarming that pads are made up of 90% plastic and a single pad has the same amount of plastic as nearly four plastic bags.
The entire process of disposal of these pads takes around 250 to 800 years from the time of use to complete degradation. Therefore, the waste is estimated to remain as long as the products used today are in the market. Prazna Foundation as a ngo for women accepts that menstrual hygiene is not only a personal or medical issue but also an environmental concern of a large scale.
Menstrual Waste and the Environment
1. The Plastic and Microplastic Problem
Plastic is produced due to these disposable pads and finally plastic breaks down into microplastics which in turn soils, water, and even crops get contaminated. The food chain eventually comprises the microplastics which can then pose a health risk for animals and humans long term.
2. Drainage and Water Contamination
The lack of knowledge and facilities has forced a considerable number of girls and women to throw their used pads in filters, rivers, or open water bodies. This has led to very polluted water, drains clogged, and areas that are not sanitary.
3. Air Pollution from the Wrong Disposal Methods
Pads in many communities are incinerated in open air or at low temperatures. This not only causes harm to the atmosphere but also releases toxic materials like dioxins and furans chemicals that are highly carcinogenic and extremely dangerous to both human health and the environment.
4. Hazards for Sanitary Workers
If the men’s waste is mixed with other household garbage, the sanitary workers will have to handle it without knowing and without gloves or other safety measures. This will expose them to infection, disease, and unsafe working conditions.
Why Pollution Control Day Is Important for Menstrual Waste Management
1. Pollution Is Not Everywhere But Only in the Air
Plastic waste produced by households, including menstrual waste, is among the most rapid-growing causes of pollution today.
2. Knowledge plus Change of Attitude Are Must
It must be the essential part of every menstrual health program that the safe disposal methods, the separation of sanitary waste, and the responsible waste management are all presented as important.
3. Sustainability Advocacy
The adoption of eco-friendly menstruation products like organic pads, cloth pads, and menstrual cups not only signifies lesser waste but also a transaction to healthier and sustainable practice by women, on the whole.
4. A Joint Responsibility
It is the common task of everyone to eliminate pollution. In this scenario, schools, NGOs, CSR partners, families, and communities join hands in creating safe disposal systems. The youth’s increasing importance as a nation-building force has led to the establishment of Akshar Kaksha like platforms that provide children with the right education that makes them responsible in relation to the environment.
Prazna Foundation’s Initiative: Project Kishori
We, through Project Kishori, enhance menstrual hygiene education in schools and slum communities, and at the same time, spread environmental awareness among children. Our objectives are:
- To hold menstrual health workshops with the inclusion of environmental education.
- To set up separate sanitary waste bins in schools and communities.
- To promote the use of non-disposable menstrual products.
- To explain the negative impact of menstrual waste on sanitation workers and public health.
- For the promotion of incineration and other scientific ways of disposal.
Hygiene and sustainability in menstruation when interlinked not just lead to healthier communities but also to a less polluted future for the coming generations.
Conclusion
Menstrual hygiene is not only individual hygiene, it is a public health matter, environment protection, and pollution control. National Pollution Control Day serves as a reminder that managing menstrual waste in a responsible manner through sustainable methods that protect our planet is a shared commitment.
Amongst the different steps to a cleaner planet is changing our habits gradually but noticeably in the direction of separating menstrual waste, providing disposal bins, stopping open burning, switching to eco-friendly products, and spreading awareness among the general public.
Being more aware and making conscious choices is the first step to a cleaner planet. And every aware choice is somehow related to awareness.
FAQs
1. What is the impact of menstrual waste disposal on earth?
Sanitary pads are made of about 90% plastic and thus decomposing them takes hundreds of years. Not only this, but plastic also inflicts a lot of damage in the form of microplastics, soil, and human health poisoning.
2. Among the methods of disposal of sanitary pads, what is the one that is less damaging?
Incineration or medical waste treatment is the final stage for the used pads which are first very closely sealed and then placed in the special sanitary waste bin.
3. Are cloth pads and menstrual cups guilty?
For sure, they are. When proper cleaning and rules are applied, both are safe and eco-friendly choices. The lesser environmental impact is created in the long run as they generate less waste.
4. What are the possible menstrual waste disposal strategies for schools?
The schools can support the installation of sanitary waste bins, conduct awareness sessions, incorporate environmental education in menstrual health program, and partner with NGOs for the eco-friendly disposal of waste.
5. What is the consequences of health hazards methods disposal upon sanitation workers?
Sanitary workers have to deal with the mixed waste of menstruation and regular garbage without the help of any protective gear. Hence, the workers’ chances of getting infections, diseases, and suffering from work-related hazards increase.
