MENSTRUAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

G.NARAYANAMMA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCES

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TEAM MEMBERS: M.GAYATHRI DEVI-20251A0445 (ECE-A)

K.POOJITHA-20251A0417(ECE-A)

KEY POINTS

• Importance of menstrual waste management
• Problems we have been facing till now
• Product based solutions
• Systems and processes for safe and eco-friendly disposal
• Efficient way for disposal using technology

Importance of Menstrual Waste Management

• Around 12.3 billion sanitary napkins, amounting to 113,000 tones of waste, reached India’s landfills every year, according to a new study. Improper disposal and non-segregation from household waste leads to unhygienic working condition for waste workers, the report said.

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• Commonly available sanitary napkins constitute 90 per cent plastic, the report claimed. India generates 3.3 million tones of plastic waste every year, according to a Central Pollution Control Board report (2018-19).
• The contribution of menstrual waste to the country’s annual plastic waste accumulation is thus less than three per cent.
•  Improper disposal and non-segregation from menstrual waste leads to unhygienic working condition for waste workers, the report said.

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PRODUCT BASED SOLUTIONS

Pads from banana fiber

Banana fiber has excellent absorption properties and composite banana fiber allowed us to make pads which are hygienic, easy to wash and quick dry," explains Archit. The extended life of these sanitary napkins can help in curbing the environment hazard of disposed sanitary pads to a great extent.

• soft
• Comfortable and rash-free
• biodegradable

Pads from bamboo fiber

Bamboo fiber is an ideal choice for the top layer of a sanitary pad as it is naturally anti-bacterial, breathable, hypoallergenic, odor resistant and super soft.

• More comfortable
• Less pollution
• Bio-degradable
• Easy disposal

Pads from Sisal fiber

• Sisal fiber is having more absorbing property. It is obtained from sisal plants. This fibers are used to prepare the pads which are bio-degradable and super soft when compared to synthetic pads. It possess high strength, ability to stretch and durability.
• As sisal fibers are hydrophilic in nature so that an increase in fiber content results in an increase in water absorption.

Underwear with hidden pad stitching

This invention relates to an item of underwear that is specifically worn in combination with pads which are stitched hidden. So they will be useful more in case of emergency and they are comfortable and soft as they are prepared using the cotton cloth. This invention provides an additional strip of fabric mimicking the crotch of the underwear and attached onto and over the original crotch area .

Cotton tampons

• Organic tampons are primarily made with organic cotton! Organic cotton farming works with nature, not against it, as per the four principles of organic agriculture, which are ecology, health, fairness, and care. Nature’s balance is observed and respected. Harmful herbicides and pesticides aren’t used, so dangerous chemicals don’t leach into waterways, and soil life is well-protected. Organic cotton also takes up less energy and water to grow, reducing the resources 

Cloth pad(home made)

• It is reusable
• eco-friendly
• easy disposal
• less cost
• more comfortable when compared to synthetic

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• How to dispose of sanitary napkins properly?
• 1. Separate Bin for Biohazards: In most houses, there are separate bins for dry and wet wastes. It is to be remembered that soiled sanitary napkins belong to neither.
• 2. Disposable Bag inside Bin: Place a disposable lining inside your bin, and collect the used napkins inside. This will prevent the local waste collector from just dumping the pads.
• 3. Fold and Wrap the Napkins: Before disposing of the menstrual pad, fold it and wrap it properly in toilet papers.
• 4. Cover: Ensure that the bin you’re using to dump the sanitary napkins has a lid.
• 5. Don’t Flush: Flushing sanitary napkin is a strict no-no. They can clog the pipeline and cause an overflow.

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Segregation of sanitary pads

The idea of the campaign is simple: the waste workers ask the households to segregate and mark their sanitary waste packets/papers bags with a visible red dot so that they know that it is sanitary waste and that it has to be treated differently. The waste is then sent to a waste-to-energy plant.

Incinerator with waste to energy technology

It is an eco friendly way to dispose the sanitary pads. Here we are incinerators with the up gradation of waste to energy technology.

• Incineration technology is complete combustion of sanitary waste with the recovery of heat to produce steam that in turn produces power through steam turbines.
• As the pads which we introduced are bio-degradable and ec0-friendly they does not emit flue gases.
• The process is odorless, colorless and smokeless meaning that the device can be installed easily in washrooms and individual cabins.
•  The only residue is ash, which can then be used as a fertilizer, and is easily dissolvable in water. The ash that we got from the incinerator will be biodegradable easily without any problem of pollution.

-Thank you

These are the product based solutions and technology solutions that we promote for efficient and environmentally safe disposal of sanitary pads