Project GreenDot

According to MHAI India has 336 million menstruating women and 36% use disposable sanitary napkins that totals to 121 million women. This implies that India has 12.3 billion disposable sanitary napkins to take care of every year. Most of these products are disposed in unsanitary and unhygienic ways like flushing in toilets, throwing in dustbins as part of regular solid waste, by burning, by burying, by throwing it into a river etc.

•  Disposable sanitary pads and tampons contain super absorptive materials like polyacrylate, when flushed absorbs all the liquids, swell up and causes sewage backflow which is serious health hazard 
• Deodorised sanitary products used by women/girls contain chemicals used in bleaching such as organochlorines which when buried in the soil disturbs the soil microflora and decomposition takes time.
• When a used disposable napkin is thrown into a river, it contaminates the river
•  Burning of pads releases harmful gasses that affects health and environment. Burning of inorganic material at low temperature releases dioxins which are toxic and carcinogenic
• There is enough research and evidence to show that sanitary pads contain chemicals that have adverse effect of women’s health

1. Spread awareness on Sustainable Menstruation and encourage women and girls to switch to sustainable menstrual hygiene products like cloth pads and Menstrual cups.
2. Develop a cloth pad making unit in 10 districts of India, making sure that the new age cloth pads are made available locally and produced locally.
3. Train women in every district of India to do sessions to help girls and women to think positively about their periods and promote sustainable menstruation options including menstrual cups.
4. For 10 women who are trained to stitch cloth pads, 20 women will be trained to spread the awareness of Sustainable Menstruation and sell sustainable menstrual hygiene products.

• Reduce the amount of sanitary waste generated in the district. A set of 5 cloth pads reduces 1500 disposable period care product from going to the landfill. Every menstrual cup sold reduces 2500 disposable period care product from going to the landfill
• Create livelihood for about 300 women in 10 districts
• Ensure the that Sustainable Menstrual hygiene care products are made available locally.