Menstrual hygiene and waste management: The survey results

Menstruum is a natural occurrence that women go through every month. The term menstruation is always surrounded by cultural beliefs, myths, and misinformation. Improper menstrual hygiene management would indirectly affect the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations (UN). The major issues related to menstrual hygiene management are using a minimal number of sanitary napkins due to unavailability and unaffordability. Contrarily, the unawareness and lack of a proper disposal mechanism result in environmental hazards. In this study, a survey has been conducted to understand the menstrual practices followed by the individuals. The questionnaire was circulated through social media and 445 people participated in it. The usage of sanitary pads by individuals is very limited and the proper disposal mechanisms have yet to be instigated. The appropriate disposal mechanism for discarding sanitary products is to incinerate them. The result of the study shows that around 40.4% of the participants were not aware of the device incinerator. Though 59.6% of the respondents were aware of the device, only 17.8% of them utilized it. The solution to the challenges associated with soiled napkin disposal would be an effective, low-cost, and user-friendly smart incinerator. This technology has the potential to reduce the quantity of biowaste that ends up in landfills.