Women empowerment is a necessity in current times in India. One important step towards that is to help women with menstrual hygiene. But India faces three major challenges to menstrual hygiene.

First, only a limited population in India has access to clean toilets and water. Most of the population depends on public washrooms. We do not keep the public toilets clean. People have a high risk of developing Urinary Tract Infections and other health-related problems.

Second, the waste collectors in the country collect the used sanitary napkins with no protective gear. They lead a life devoid of dignity. It severely affects their mental and physical health.

Third, sanitary napkins used by most women are not environment friendly. The pads harm the environment. Each woman is generating up to 125 kilograms of waste.

PadCare – A Step Towards Women Empowerment

PadCare is a management solution based on hygiene that generates eco-friendly, harmless, and recyclable pads. Ajinkya Dhariya is the founder and CEO of PadCare. It is a Pune-based startup. It is the first sanitary napkin processing and recycling solution. They promote the concept of sustainability. For this, their system produces a smokeless, harmless, and long-term solution that allows you to create a carbon negative impact out of menstrual waste.

Impact Made by PadCare ​​​​​​​

PadCare is not only affecting the lives of women and waste pickers. The entire process is beneficial for the environment as well. Jesha Shah, the Industrial designer, mentioned,

“As a menstruator, I wasn’t aware of what happens to the pads after I dispose of them. But when I think about the plight of the waste pickers, I feel guilty about it.”

To date, this phenomenon has recycled 9500 pads, 150 bins installed, and 5000 kilograms of carbon emissions have been reduced. The model of PadCare is a perfect example of sustainable development.

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