When it comes to personal hygiene, you can’t get more personal than a sanitary pad. However, while they may be a Godsend to female wellness, environmental wellness is taking a hit and Indian officials are starting to do something about it.
The female population of Pune – the state of Maharashtra’s cultural and academic capital – uses an estimated 10million sanitary pads, or 140 tonnes, every month, which poses a major challenge to dispose of them without harming the wellbeing of the planet. Therefore, in a move that is the first of its kind in all of India, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have issued a requirement to all sanitary pad manufacturers that they must include an identifiable disposal bag with each sanitary pad. This has been done with the hope of eliminating environmental and health hazards arising out of the disposal of sanitary pads.
In January, manufacturers including Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, Hindustan Unilever and Kimberly Clarke Lever were invited to a meeting with Mayor Vaishali Bankar and Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Pathak, in order to work on a solution. However, as no company representative turned up, non-government organisation Solid Waste Collection and Management (SWaCH), decided it was time to take direct action. Malati Gadgil, who is handling SWaCH’s business expansion, commented, ‘On March 8th, International Women’s Day, we collected bundles of used sanitary pads and returned them to the companies which manufactured them.’ A bold move; but it worked.
Top companies sent officials to meet with the PMC authorities in April, and promised a solution within the next three months. However, even though the companies pledged to work on the disposal of the used sanitary pads, whether they should be segregated as wet or dry waste, whether the products are bio-degradable or not and whether they are recyclable or not, these turned out to be empty promises. According to Gadgil, ‘Three months have passed since the meeting but they have not acted in the matter. We shall continue the campaign and explore other avenues in the matter.’ Joint Municipal Commissioner Suresh Jagtap added that, going by the Extended Producers Responsibility under the Plastics Management & Handling Rules, set in 2011, manufacturers have a responsibility for their products till the very end of their use.
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