.

NATIONAL CHILDREN SCIENCE

CONGRESS 2023
NCSC2023

Focal theme – understanding

ecosystem for health and well
being

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TOPIC – STUDY ON SUSTAINABLE MENSTURATION AS A MEANS TO
AVOID PLASTIC WASTE

GROUP LEADER – BHAVYA SIYA VERMA

GROUP MEMBER- SMRITI THAKUR
GUIDE TEACHER – MRS. PRIYANKA SHRIVASTAVA
Sustainable menstruation

As a mean to avoid plastic waste

 Introduction

MENSTRUATION OR PERIOD, IS NORMAL VAGINAL BLEEDING, A PART OF WOMAN'S MONTHLY CYCLE.Menstruation is still
a secret in India, we don't talk about periods, if we don't talk about periods we don't about pads, and if we don't talk
about pads, we don't talk about what's in the PADS.
What is Sustainable Menstruation? What’s this movement about?

Sustainable menstruation refers to the use of alternative products during

one’s menstrual cycle for the benefit of the body and earth.
•What’s in the pad?
Cancer, infertility causing harmful chemicals found in sanitary pads
in India, a new study reveals

The study conducted by the NGO that's part of the International

Pollutants Elimination Network tested ten brands of pads (including
organic and inorganic) available across India and found traces of
phthalates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in all the
samples.
To understand sustainable menstruation, it is important to understand
commercial Menstrual Hygiene Products such as sanitary pads and tampons.
The presence of dangerous chemicals, such as pesticide residues, bleach and
phthalates, make commercial MHPs incredibly harmful to one's physical health
and the environment. The average woman will use 12,000 to 16,000 disposable
sanitary pads in her lifetime. MHPs are non-biodegradable, taking
approximately 500 to 800 years to decompose. All of this waste adds up.
56 percent of the waste produced in Bengaluru, India, for example, is sanitary
waste. Around the world, waste generation rates are rising, and the addition of
sanitary napkins and tampons exacerbates this waste issue.

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Sustainable menstruation refers to using alternative products during one’s
menstrual cycle for the benefit of both physical health and the environment.
While the most eco-friendly product is the menstrual cup. Sustainable
menstruation can also be achieved using a less popular product — the
reusable pad. Organic cotton tampons and pads are also great alternatives,
however they are not as environmentally-friendly as menstrual cups or
reusable pads due to the presence of non-biodegradable elements. As
enthusiastic as one can be about such innovations, sustainable menstruation
can also seem pretty unfamiliar and intimidating, especially when the
menstrual cup is exclusively the face of many sustainable menstruation
initiatives