In an attempt to promote cleanliness and save environment, a sanitary napkins disposable machine/incinerator was today installed at Nirmala College. The initiative has been taken to endorse save disposal of used sanitary napkins and to encourage adolescents’, girls, women to adopt healthy lifestyle. As the sanitary napkins are non biodegradable, it has several hazardous impacts on environment.
“The electric incinerators provide an environment friendly alternative for disposal as they convert each sanitary napkin into one milligram of sterilized ash. The conversion takes less than two minute for each napkin and the vessel can hold up to 50 napkins at a time. The machine uses half a unit of power an hour,” informed, Sunita Chitlangia, faculty of commerce at Nirmala College.
“Sanitary napkin incinerators are now being donated by various organizations to educational institutions for save disposal of napkins and moreover for the convenience of girls besides protecting environment. Moreover, these modern, electric ones are expected to last long and can be installed at Rs. 1000 whereas each machine ranges from Rs. 20,000 to 25,000. The success of the initiative pivots on how well students grasp the importance of safe disposal of sanitary products as it is both affordable and convenient to use,” pointed out Chitlangia.
The initiative is taken by Junior Chamber International (JCI) under ‘Suraksha Project’ of installing the disposable machines will be extended to Ranchi Women’s College and other institutes in the state capital in the coming days too. The disposable machines was inaugurated on Nirmala College premises on Saturday by JCI, National president, Rajshree Bhade in the presence of members of JCI, students and college management staffs. College students too appreciated the step of the college administration towards promoting healthy lifestyle.
A 2011 study titled ‘Sanitary protection: Every woman’s health right’ estimated that only 12 per cent of the 335 million menstruating women have access to disposable sanitary napkins machines. Few years back, leading environment portal estimated that 432 million sanitary napkins are disposed every month in open environment, which results in degradation of environment and have severe impact on human being health and well being.
According to the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, items contaminated with blood and body fluids including cotton, dressings, soiled plaster casts, lines and bedding are bio-medical waste and must be incinerated, autoclaved or micro waved to destroy pathogens.