2.

0 CURRENT STATUS

2.1 Production of Paper

As technology continues to evolve, the production of paper using new and improved

equipment such as printing presses and highly mechanized harvesting of wood has allowed

disposable paper to be a cheap commodity. In Malaysia, it is estimated that a total of

1,300,000 tons of paper is produced per year. Figure below shows all the paper mills that has

been established in Malaysia.

Figure 2.1 Paper Mills in Malaysia

Despite the steady economic growth of paper production in Malaysia, paper production is a

known contributor of pollution and other harmful effects towards the environment. Our forest

provides 50% of the world’s terrestrial carbon as well as being the home for various flora and

fauna. However, half of the world’s forest has been cleared or burned down and 42% is used

to make paper [1].

Paper mills discharge 20-100 cubic meter of wastewater per metric ton of paper produced [2].

The wastewater discharged contains high level of BOD (biochemical oxygen demand),

suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus.

Air emissions from paper production are mostly made up of sulfur dioxide, however, other

components such as dust particles and NOx emissions are also present [3]. Sulfur dioxide

contributes to acid rain whereas dust particles lead to air pollution such as haze.

Figure 2.2 shows the process of producing paper.

Figure 2.2 Process of making paper

The manufacturing and production of paper consumes a lot of natural resources as well as

emitting harmful substances that could potentially pose a negative effect towards the

environment.

2.2 Disposable Sanitary Pads

A Malaysian woman produces 240 sanitary wastes annually as estimated by Dr Theng Lee

Chong, a environment and solid waste management specialist. This totals up to 2.4 billion

sanitary pads and tampons thrown away every year in Malaysia which is equivalent to 480

garbage trucks filled with sanitary waste [4].

The picture below is taken from a news article by The Star which shows Dr Theng Lee

Chong scavenging the landfill for sanitary waste.

Figure 2.3 Dr Theng scavenging the landfill

Using sanitary pads for a prolonged time can pose harmful effects towards a woman’s health.

Most sanitary pads contain BPA which can increase the risk of cancer as when exposed to it

for a long time. Not only that, cotton used in pads often carries traces of herbicides and

pesticides that can enter the blood streams and interfere the internal organs. The cotton used

in sanitary pads also contain dioxin which is a bleaching agent. Dioxin is a known carcinogen

that poses the risks of ovarian cancer[5].

Another problem that a woman encounters while using sanitary pads is the smell. To curb this

problem, sanitary pad manufacturers add deodorants and fragrances to minimize the scent of

the blood. However, these added chemicals will affect one’s embryonic development and

could possibly lead to infertility.

Therefore, reusable sanitary pads have been introduced to curb the problem regarding

sanitary waste management. However, in Malaysia, reusable sanitary pads are not as

accessible in local drug stores. This results in low awareness of the existence of reusable

sanitary pad.

2.3 The Solution

To solve this problem, we have come up with a product called “Bluddy”, an eco-friendly

sanitary pad that tackles two problems in one. The sanitary pad is made up of recycled pulp

and paper.

The block diagram below shows the process of creating Bluddy.

Collection of
recycled paper Cutting of paper
Sorting of paper
from recycling into strips
center

Garment Spinning of paper

End product
processing into thread

Figure 2.4 Block Diagram to produce Bluddy

1. Collection of recycled paper from collection center

For the raw materials, we will purchase recycled paper from collection centers in

Malaysia.
2. Sorting of paper

The collected recycled paper will then be sorted according to the color, size and

thickness. This is to ensure that the different types of paper will undergo suitable

pretreatment processes. Different types of paper categories will have different uses –

recycled paper that has a greater thickness and overall quality will be used as the

fabric of the sanitary pads, whereas recycled paper that is thin (eg: newspaper) will be

spun into threads that is later used for sewing of the pads.

3. Cutting of paper into strips

To convert the paper into fabric, we have decided to implement a process that is

similar to production of Shifu which is a traditional Japanese textile that is made up of

paper [6].

Figure 2.5 Shifu cloth woven by textile artist, Susan J Byrd

The first step of creating fabric from paper is by cutting it into thin strips as shown in

the figure below.

 Figure 2.6 Paper strips cut into long strips before the spinning process

4. Spinning of paper into thread

The long strips of paper is then spun into threads before it undergoes garment

processing to turn into fabric [7]. The image below shows paper strips that has been

spun into threads.

Figure 2.7 Thread made up of paper

5. Garment Processing
 The threads from the recycled paper will be classified according to its quality.

Threads that are made up of thinner paper such as newspapers, will be used for

sewing, whereas threads that are made up of thicker paper is used for the fabric and

the lining of the pads.

6. End Product

The reusable sanitary pads will undergo quality checks before it is packaged and sold

to the public.

Figure 2.8 An example of reusable sanitary pads

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR CORN:

[4] https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/01/04/plastic-ban-may-not-solve-

the-problem-expert-says-proper-waste-management-plays-equal-role-in-reduci/

[7] http://www.spinartiste.com/learning-to-spin-paper-thread-with-susan-j-byrd