The world in the present day faces a humanitarian disaster AND an environmental disaster – each of which want cautious consideration to stability the wants of people with these of the planet.
From a sanitaryware perspective, this requires meticulous regard for each the rights of girls and ladies to have entry to acceptable sanitary merchandise, and the safety of the setting from the devastating results of single use plastic and disposable sanitary merchandise.
From an environmental perspective, it’s clear that disposable menstrual merchandise are an enormous supply of single use plastic packaging – resulting in the time period crimson carbon.
“One pad equates to 4 plastic luggage, and each lady on the planet who makes use of pads or tampons will undergo round 5 000 to fifteen 000 pads and tampons of their lifetime. This additionally means they’re anticipated to throw away virtually 200 kilograms of interval product packaging. It’s estimated that menstruating ladies in South Africa produce 52.4 million kilograms of sanitary product waste, destined for landfills and sewer programs, yearly,” confirms Sherie de Moist, Founder and CEO at Palesa Pads.
These merchandise not solely refill landfills, however include tremendous absorbent polymers (SAP), which merely don’t decompose – and once they ultimately do break down, they launch microplastics, which contaminate soil, water, oceans, meals sources, and air. Add to this the water, pesticide, and land necessities to provide these merchandise from cotton and rayon, and it’s clear that crimson carbon is unsustainably excessive.
Cut back crimson carbon and combat poverty
Now, balancing the necessity to cut back crimson carbon with the combat in opposition to interval poverty – making certain each lady and lady has entry to sanitary merchandise – is important. Fortunately, reusable sanitary merchandise can provide an answer to each crises; on the situation that they’re simply and sustainably washable to make sure the life cycle evaluation (LCA) nonetheless exhibits a motion in the proper route.
“The objective needs to be to make sure all ladies and ladies who menstruate have entry to the assets to handle their menstruation with security and dignity, whereas additionally minimising the environmental impression of crucial sanitary objects,” provides de Moist.
That is the place the social enterprise, Palesa Pads, presents a singular answer. By the manufacturing and distribution of high-quality, reusable fabric sanitary pads in Southern Africa, Palesa Pads (which is presently the one SABS Compliant reusable pad within the South African market) is successfully restoring dignity to tens of millions of girls and ladies – whereas defending the setting with merchandise which can be hand-washable in a small quantity of water.
“We envision a world the place sanitary pad waste is a factor of the previous. We do all we will to carry reasonably priced, sustainable, eco-friendly options to each lady and lady. Within the course of, we have now stored 122 million disposable pads out of landfills,” concludes de Moist.
Interval poverty competitors
5 The Inexperienced Occasions readers now stand an opportunity to win a Palesa Reusable Kickstart Kits with drying clips, price R389 every!
Write to michelle@optimiseplus.co.za with a solution to the next query:
- What number of years does it tackle common for disposable pads to interrupt down within the setting?
Every equipment consists of:
- 6 prime quality, reusable Palesa Pads, which cater for a light-weight to heavy movement
- a cleansing equipment to maintain your reusable pads glowing clear
Advantages of Palesa Reusable Pads:
- Reusable (each reusable Palesa Pads retains 200 disposable pads out of the setting)
- Straightforward to wash they usually don’t stain
- No leaks
- No chemical compounds (so no smells and fewer, if any, pores and skin rashes or irritations)
- Prime quality – they final for as much as 5 years
- Saves you an enormous sum of money!
Complete worth of the 5 prizes: R1945.00
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