Period Of Inconveniences
by Soumya Tiwari
Menstrual cycle- one of the most natural, regular and taboo processes in our country. When we emphasize on how natural and regular they are for half the population on earth, it seems very unnatural as to how it has failed to take into consideration the environmental degradation that comes with the products most used to deal with them. However, the taboo part explains the story more clearly.
Anything which is hush-hush in the society makes it difficult not only for the government to change but also for the civil society to understand the cost of the taboo. In this case, periods is that topic that shouldn’t be discussed because it’s considered dirty and disgusting. This leads to a poor understanding of periods. Why do they occur? What is its purpose? How can women have a safe and healthy period? How can silence around period lead to environmental degradation? Questions like these are asked only in a limited space in India.
The product in question is the sanitary pad. According to a joint report by Water Aid India and the Menstrual Hygiene Alliance of India, “Nearly 121 million women and adolescent girls in India use on average eight sanitary napkins per menstrual cycle. That translates to 1 million pads generated monthly, which then results into 12 billion pads produced and disposed of annually in India alone.” The issue with using copious amounts of pads is not only the health risks that come from exposing your intimate areas to harmful chemicals used but also because sanitary pads are hazardous to the environment.
If we don’t focus on the plastic packaging, the small sticky paper part of the pad, disposing of a dirty pad has been a big issue in our country. Data on menstrual waste management from the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) shows that 28 per cent of such pads are thrown with routine waste, 28 per cent are thrown in open, 33 per cent are disposed of via burial and 15 per cent are burnt openly. Since these 1 pad takes about 800 years to decompose, it means all the sanitary pads ever used are still very much present on earth, producing toxic gas from its plastic material every single day!
This problem persists because menstruation is a taboo in India. Moreover, menstruating people in our country still resort to dirty clothes, ashes or even husk because they don’t have access to clean sources of sanitary products. In such a situation, discussions around better and more sustainable technologies of sanitary products take a backseat.
I think the onus lies on people who do use pads to step up and change the situation. A number of companies are popping up in India which provide environment-friendly products. Cloth pads, period panties or menstrual cups are three such examples.
Menstrual cups, according to me are the best bet in this situation. Made out of silicon, one menstrual cup can be used for 8–10 years, is, therefore, reusable, cheap and safer than pads. Menstrual cups, thus, solve the environmental problems and health risks that come with pads while being cost-effective.
However, it is vital to acknowledge the reasons why menstrual cups are then not a big hit yet in the Indian market when they are clearly the better option. Menstrual cups require access to private space and clean water which are still a struggle in large parts of India. However, the bigger issue among the middle classes that do have access to these things is the fear of using a cup. A nation obsessed with keeping its hymen intact, menstrual cups pose a serious threat. Apart from this, lack of proper awareness, a lot of uncertainty and comfortability with older ways can be a few other reasons.
However, with the seriousness of the situation at hand, I think it is pertinent to hold a dialogue on these issues. Periods are an inconvenience to a lot of people every month as is, let’s stop making it an inconvenience to the environment as well!
