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Sanitary Pad Incinerators for Economically Challenged Community.
Rotary International District - 3060, India.
The problem of improper disposal of menstrual waste is a major roadblock to
our achieving the goal to create a clean India. Inappropriate disposal of
menstrual waste is problematic for several reasons.
The first reason stems from the fact that plastic sanitary napkins have replaced
cloth napkins to a large extent. The material used to make plastic napkins is
non-biodegradable, thus leading to the accumulation of used napkins in large
heaps in landfills. Used sanitary napkins that have not been disposed off
properly sometimes block the drainage system. Burning plastic sanitary napkins
causes harmful toxins to be released into the atmosphere, and is therefore not
an environment-friendly solution to the problem. Women from lower economic
backgrounds who cannot afford to buy plastic sanitary napkins use cloth
napkins, and often either do not dispose them or dispose them in ways that are
not hygienic.
Another problem of accumulated menstrual waste is the fact that menstrual
blood on napkins stagnates for longer duration, thus allowing pathogens to
thrive in it. Stagnant menstrual blood accumulates a lot of bacteria such as
Escherichia coli, which rapidly multiplies at an exponential rate. The red blood
cells in the menstrual blood nourish the bacteria and emit a foul odour when
they die. Heaps of sanitary napkins with a large amount of disease causing
bacteria on them pose a significant threat to the hygiene in the surrounding
areas.
The improper disposal of sanitary napkins is a problem that needs to be dealt
with right from the grass root level. The process of menstruation is considered
taboo, and people refrain from talking about it openly. Young girls and even
certain older women are not aware of the hygiene problems caused by the
improper disposal of sanitary pads. Efforts must be made to create awareness
about the importance of menstrual hygiene and the problems caused by the
lack of it. We must also find an alternative to plastic sanitary pads that is
biodegradable and easy to dispose.
In an effort promote proper disposal of menstrual waste and promote the
Swachh Bharat Mission, sanitary pad vending machines and incinerators were
installed in two women's hostels. One of the best ways to dispose menstrual
waste is to incinerate sanitary napkins using electrical or physical fire-based
incinerators without allowing the smoke generated in the process to escape into
the atmosphere. Napkins must be incinerated immediately after they are used,
without giving time for pathogens to grow on them. This incinerator is small in
size and very easy to use. It restricts the smoke generated in the process of
incineration to a specific chamber and prevents it from entering the atmosphere.
To Address this Problem Rotary District 3060 has taken up the initiative to
promote menstrual sanitation and proper disposal of menstrual waste forward
by creating awareness, encouraging every woman to use eco- friendly
incinerators and promoting research to find a biodegradable alternative to
plastic sanitary pads. With the Help of Clubs of District 3060 Sanitary Pad
Incinerators will be installed at schools and Public places for Economically
Challenged Community. This would help in proper eco-friendly disposal of
Sanitary Pads.
Project
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