Introduction (urvi)

Menstrual hygiene is still considered a taboo in many parts of India. And most women don’t
have access to sanitary products, especially in rural areas.
Finding a feasible solution to this problem for women in rural areas is a group of Class X
students from Ahammed Kurikkal Memorial Higher Secondary School in Kerala. The team
has made an eco-friendly sanitary napkin using water hyacinth, which can absorb water 12
times than a regular sanitary pad.

Problem statements -
1. Water hyacinth
- Considered as the world’s worst aquatic weed, water hyacinth multiplies rapidly, and
forms a dense layer over the aquatic surface, making aquatic life impossible.
- Interferes with marine transportation;
- Makes canals and freshwater rivers impassable as they clog up with weed;
- Hampers fishing and dramatically reduces the catch and the source of food and
income for local populations;
- Disrupts irrigation and water supply systems;
- Displaces indigenous flora and fauna by modifying the habitat.
2. Plastic sanitary napkins
- They are not only expensive but also harm the environment in several ways.
- Disposable period pads contain up to 90% plastic.
- For a population of 350 million menstruating women in India, assuming 35% women
use sanitary napkins regularly at an average of 8 pads a month, about 200 tonnes of
sanitary napkin waste would be generated daily.

Hence, to reduce water hyacinth waste and provide a low cost, eco-friendly solution to
conventional sanitary napkins, students from Kerala produce pads using water hyacinth, a
major invasive plant of Kerala.

Sustainable development goals covered -

Process (katyayni)

The manufacturing of the bio-degradable sanitary pad includes collecting, cleaning, cutting
and sterilising of water hyacinth stalks. Absorbent layer is made using stalk and cotton,
which is sandwiched between the top and bottom layer made of cotton. Bees wax is used to
seal the barrier layer.
The production process will begin by workers pulling the plant from Lake Victoria, then
soaking the water hyacinth leaves and fibers overnight in a sterilization formal to remove
unwanted bacteria. Next the agricultural waste must be converted into a pulp by
disintegrating the fibers. Once strained, water and bamboo powder are added, to achieve a
lumpy pulp type substance. The same process will be conducted with the hyacinth leaves
and fibers, creating two seperate pulp mixtures. The mixture is then placed onto a dripping
frame and exposed to the sun to increase absorbency.

Process of solar energy, operational cost will be reduced, while promoting an eco friendly
notion. Once dried, the absorbent sheets are run through a softening machine until the
absorbent is taken to the sizing stage and cut into 20×5 cm before sealing it.

Requisite raw material and cost structure (Neenarika)

Requisite raw material

1. Water hyacinth plant ( leaves and fiber)

Cost structure

1. Natural brown water hyacinth fiber - RS 150/kg ( Available in gaziabad)

Importance + potential limitations (janvi)

IMPORTANCE
According to research a female has an average of 408 Periods and uses an average of
6,120 Pads in her entire lifetime
These pads usually end up filling our lands and water bodies, leading to exploitation and
pollution of these resources. Not only do they harm our environment but they also have a
huge impact on our health. The chemicals infused plastic made sanitary pads can cause
irritation, rashes, allergic reactions, and genital infections. In worse cases, can also lead to
infertility.
Female hygiene and menstruation are an inevitable part of our lives and so is the
environment. While plastic and chemical-based hygiene products are available in immense
quantities, a switch to a Biodegradable option is the need of the hour.

Biodegradable pads have very less or no plastic at all, this makes them fully degradable and
decreases the chances of plastic accumulation. These pads are free from toxins and
chemicals and no added fragrance.
A few perks of using Biodegradable Pads are :
Rash and Irritation free: The delicate skin in the intimate area can react with plastic-based
pads, hence biodegradable pads are made up of plant-based products making them safer
and more comfortable for use.
Safer Alternative: The biodegradable pads have been proven to be a safer alternative as
plastic-based pads can cause infections and reactions harming the fertility of a person.
Plastic-Free: As these pads are plastic-free, the risk of any health hazard narrows down to
almost 0 and there is no adverse effect on the environment as well.
Decomposes: Plastic pads take up to 700-800 to decompose completely, but biodegradable
pads start decomposing within the year of use.
Dioxin: Regular sanitary pads contain polymers that release dioxin in contact with the air,
causing severe air pollution.
Doctor recommended: The biodegradable pads are recommended by medical physicians as
these pads are the most hygienic alternative available in the market.
IMPORTANCE OF USING PADS MADE FROM AQAUTIC WEED
1. Pads will be produced using the Water Hyacinth plant, as its primary resource, a
free-floating perennial aquatic plant, which stems from the lily family. The retrieval of this
material would be easily accessible due to its abundance. Through taking advantage of the
profusion of this plant the raw material will be acquired efficiently, while also reducing costs.
2. The secondary resource being agricultural waste consisting of straw, wood, and bamboo
all locally sourced resources. Water Hyacinth is considered the most productive plant on
earth as it yields more than 200 tons of dry matter per hectare per year under normal
conditions, meaning increased access.
3. Water hyacinth is a devastating plant for aquatic life, through removing it we will allow
aquatic life to continue, and reduce the impending issues the weed inhibits including;
disease, infestation and its interference with water irrigation. This will result in aquatic
commercial activities resuming
4. Provide a solution for water life being affected by the complete invasion of the water
hyacinth. Removal of this plant to be used in Pad production will enable oxygen in these
waters and make life possible again.
5. The reutilization of materials is a key success factor of the product, also the material used
will not deteriorate the environment and instead benefit youth.
6. Just like how the saying goes , to stop two gaps with one bush, these pads solve two
problems at once by providing eco friendly solutions to women using the worst weed on
earth to produce sanitary pads at the same time.
7. Provide an alternative for women’s basic necessities. Women will now have the
opportunity to obtain a low-cost pad with reliable materials that have much less
environmental impact than traditional pads.
8. While the current absorption capacity of pads is already very high and leakage in modern
napkins is not as much of a problem, the benefits around managing disposal and cost seem
to be the biggest advantages of this product.
9. Disposable sanitary pads are more viable in urban slums than reusable ones because
women who have periods may not have access to water to wash regularly and the stigma
associated with periods stops them from drying the items publicly.
POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS
There is the risk of malfunctions and defects with the pads since a plant based fibre is being
used. To face this problem one need to be very meticulous in testing our product and
speedily responding to any defects.

Another risk is that the water hyacinth is also susceptible to weather, especially at colder
temperatures. To avoid this occurring weather forecasts will need to be observed on a
regular basis, so as shortage in supply does not impact upon the production process.

One need to demonstrate to women that their assistance is beneficial to them and their
families as it is a means for extra income. Target could be women workers working in NGO’s.
Through building a strong relationship, and incorporating cultural norms into the workplace
the idea could be successful.

Chances of bacterial growth – if these are used for long , such as when women use the
same pad for a long time

Process ( shaswat khandelwal)

SANA PAD MAKING PROCESS

Materials:
Water Hycanith primary source for production
Secondary resource agricultural waste consisting of straw,wood and bamboo

Process:
Bringing hycanith to a place,then soaking its leaves in a sterilization formula to remove
unwanted bacteria.
Once strained,water and bamboo powder are added to get a lumpy pulp like substance.

Same goes with agricultural waste in which waste is converted into a pulp by disintegrating
the fibres.

The mixtures are then placed onto a dripping frame and exposed to sun to increase
absorption

Once dried,the absorbent sheets will be used to make absorbent layer with cotton and will
be sandwiched between top and bottom layers made of cotton.
Bees wax will be used to seal the barrier layer. Lastly pad goes through UV fertilisation.
Sizing will be of 20×5 cm
It has 3 different layers of cotton, agricultural waste and hycanith which will increase
absorbency and thickness of pad
This will enable girls to use them for 7-9 hour period before changing.
Lastly packed into packets made form newspaper.