Sanitary pads take more than 500 years to decompose. Several studies have pointed out the hazards that sanitary napkins pose. And we have millions of people disposing of used pads every day.
Not only do they fill up the land mines, but they contaminate our soil, water, and air. However, the biggest hazard is for people in the low-income strata, who have to handle the waste often without protective gear. People catch severe infections, and animals accidentally ingesting them can even die.
Keeping this in mind, Bhasha Maheswari, Shruti Bamb, and Siddhi Deshpande from the UPES, Dehradun, have invented Vendo, a vending machine cum incinerator. Using this, menstruators can easily access a pad and dispose of used ones without causing harm to the environment, animals, and other human beings.
The students of Industrial Product Design IV year created this vending machine. They want it to be installed in government washrooms to make it accessible to menstruators around the country.
Its top part will dispense sanitary pads, while the bottom part has an incinerator installed. It will burn the napkins in the safest way possible. The by-products of burning are only ash and smoke.
The students claim that this ash could be added to soil or compost to increase fertility. They have created the machine while keeping government guidelines in mind. They are still working to understand the elements and figure out if any part of it can be directed for some other use as well to optimise their product.
Along with increased access to pads among underprivileged women, it will also provide them with napkins in two sizes. The current design only incinerates sanitary pads and no other menstrual products.
Along with releasing an agriculture-friendly by-product, it will also cut down the human involvement in waste segregation of sanitary products that often leads to harmful diseases.
While speaking to women in rural areas, Maheswari, Bamb, and Deshpande came to know that many did not know about the safe disposal of sanitary pads. They claimed that many menstruators did not even use newspapers before disposing of a used napkin.
Thus, if multiple machines are installed in public restrooms, menstruators can safely dispose of their used pads within seconds. It will also eliminate the issue of clogging drains.
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The team is currently struggling with spreading awareness regarding the disposal of sanitary pads. They claim that people are not aware of the hazards that come with their disposal out in the open.
They are trying to work out a deal with Municipal Corporations to get these machines installed in public toilets. Once that is achieved, they aim at installations in restrooms of IT companies and malls.
The team has won the ‘Special Mention Award in Product Design’ at the MIT-WPU National Design Awards 2022. Their design will not only make sanitary pads accessible to menstruators around India, but also ensure eco-friendly and sustainable disposal.
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After rolling out the first model, the team of students will try to develop a smaller version of the machine that could be installed in homes.
While every other person is trying to develop eco-friendly sanitary products, these students have thought about the disposal of products as well. We hope that they achieve success in getting Vendo machines installed in public restrooms soon.
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