The Disappearing Act - Or Not Quite
Every month, like clockwork, a silent ritual unfolds across millions of homes. A pad is taken out of its plastic wrapper, used for a few hours, then neatly folded, wrapped in old newspaper or another plastic bag, and tossed into the bin. We move on with our day. The moment ends - but the impact doesn’t.
The truth is, what we discard in seconds continues to linger far beyond our lives. Commercial sanitary pads, the most commonly used menstrual product across India, are made of up to 90% plastic. From the soft-feeling top layer to the adhesive bottom strip that sticks to underwear - almost every part is synthetic. Designed for convenience and comfort, they ironically become one of the most stubborn pollutants once disposed of.
But here’s what many of us don’t realise: the moment that pad leaves our bathroom dustbin, its journey is far from over. In fact, that’s just the beginning of a story that stretches for centuries. Unlike biodegradable waste, which merges back into the environment in a matter of weeks or months, these pads sit - unchanged, unmoving - in landfills. Some are buried under mounds of trash. Some are burned in incinerators. Some, worse yet, end up clogging drains or tossed in open fields.
A product used for just 4–6 hours now has the potential to outlive the person who used it by 500 to 800 years. That means a girl starting her period at 13 and using pads until her 40s could generate waste that stays long after her great-great-grandchildren are born. That’s not just waste - that’s a legacy.
Still, it remains one of the least discussed problems in conversations around sustainability. While we’ve started talking about plastic straws, grocery bags, and even cosmetic packaging, period waste remains largely invisible - both socially and environmentally. Tucked away in dustbins, hidden behind taboo, and dismissed as "biological waste," it escapes our awareness.
But the numbers speak louder than the silence. Every year, India alone produces over 12 billion sanitary pads, and with the growing push for menstrual hygiene access (which is essential), this number is only increasing. The problem isn’t menstruation. The problem is what we’re using to manage it - and what we do with those products once we're done.
It’s time we stop treating this as a private affair and start recognising it for what it truly is - a public environmental concern. Because menstruation may be natural, but the waste it’s generating is anything but.
Silent Polluters in Our Soil
As these pads slowly degrade, they leach harmful chemicals and microplastics into the soil and groundwater. When these pads reach landfills, they don’t just sit there quietly. Over time, they break down into microplastics and leach harmful chemicals like Super Absorbent Polymers (SAPs), fragrances, and bleaches into the soil, seeping into groundwater and polluting nearby ecosystems. This has long-term effects on everything from the quality of drinking water to soil fertility.
In rural areas and low-income neighborhoods, where waste disposal systems are not robust, pads are often burned in low-temperature incinerators or open fires. This releases dioxins and furans - toxic compounds that have been linked to cancer, reproductive issues, and hormonal disruptions.
Sometimes, they are flushed down toilets - clogging sewage lines and entering water bodies. Aquatic animals can mistake pad fragments for food, disrupting entire food chains. One menstruator can use up to 10,000 pads in a lifetime. Multiply that, and the numbers become staggering.
The shame around periods is feeding the damage to our planet. So let’s pause and ask ourselves: is it really just about periods anymore? This is about environmental justice. This is about health. This is about responsibility.
And the solution? It starts with a mindset shift.
The Human Cost We Overlook
When we talk about waste, our minds often jump to overflowing landfills or polluted rivers. But there’s another cost, a quieter, more human one that often goes unnoticed: the lives of the people who have to handle this waste.
Every day, countless sanitation workers - many from marginalized and economically disadvantaged communities - sift through our garbage, often without the luxury of protective gloves, masks, or proper equipment. For them, there’s no line between “biohazard” and “everyday trash.” Used pads, stained and wrapped in newspaper or plastic, are just one more item in the pile they must manage to make a living.
But menstrual waste isn’t just garbage - it’s potentially infectious, hazardous, and deeply stigmatized. When these workers are forced to handle used sanitary products with bare hands, it puts them at risk of infections, skin diseases, and long-term health complications. Some are tasked with separating waste manually, their hands moving through a cocktail of plastic, blood, and decay, often while society looks the other way.
This isn’t just unhygienic - it’s inhumane.
What’s worse is the layer of shame and silence that surrounds menstruation itself. Used pads are often hidden in black plastic bags, not to protect sanitation workers, but to protect social modesty. In doing so, we continue to dehumanize those who come into contact with it.
At the root of it all is a broken waste management system and a deeply broken mindset - one that treats certain lives as disposable as the waste they handle. We can no longer afford to separate environmental action from social justice. Because sustainability isn't just about the planet - it's about people too.
Choosing sustainable menstrual products like menstrual cups or cloth pads isn’t just a personal health decision. It’s a way to lessen the burden on sanitation workers, to break the chain of indignity, and to ensure that no one has to suffer because we chose convenience over conscience. It’s time we talk not just about how we manage our periods, but about who ends up managing the aftermath.
A Sustainable Swap: Menstrual Cups
So far, we’ve talked about the mess we didn’t know we were leaving behind. But here’s where the conversation gets hopeful, because there is a smarter, cleaner, and shockingly simpler alternative: the menstrual cup.
Unlike disposable pads or tampons, a menstrual cup doesn’t absorb - it collects menstrual blood. Made from medical-grade silicone, it folds and fits inside the vaginal canal. Once inserted properly, it creates a gentle suction that stays put for up to 8–12 hours. When it’s time, you take it out, empty the contents, rinse it, and reuse it.
Many people react to the concept with equal parts curiosity and concern. “How does it stay in?” “Is it safe?” “Will it leak?” These are valid questions, coming from decades of being taught that menstruation must be managed quietly, cleanly, and, above all, disposably. But once you try a menstrual cup and get used to the initial learning curve, many never look back.
Here’s why this swap is such a game-changer:
- The environmental impact. A single menstrual cup, if properly maintained, lasts up to 10 years. That’s 10 years of zero sanitary pad waste. The average person uses over 1,800 pads in a decade. All replaced by one small, silicone cup.
- The cost. A good quality menstrual cup costs between ₹300 to ₹1000, but it pays for itself in just a few months. Compared to spending hundreds a month on pads, a cup saves thousands over the years.
- The comfort. Contrary to initial fears, once inserted properly, you barely feel a cup. You can sleep, swim, run, and travel without worrying about leaks, rashes, or that dry, uncomfortable feeling tampons can cause. No sweaty pad, no emergency dashes to the bathroom, no carrying “spares.”
But beyond logic, money, and math, there’s something else that makes menstrual cups revolutionary: Freedom.
The kind of freedom you feel when you don’t have to plan your day around your period. When your flow doesn’t decide your wardrobe. The kind of freedom that comes from realizing that menstruation isn’t a dirty secret - it’s just a biological rhythm you can manage with dignity, sustainability, and comfort.
Sure, using a menstrual cup takes a bit of practice. You’ll fumble the fold a few times. Maybe you’ll leak once or twice. But so did we all the first time we tried pads, remember? The important part is, you learn. And when you do, you realize this isn’t just a period product - it’s a mindset shift.
It’s about choosing a cleaner period for yourself, and a cleaner planet for those who come after. In a world where every little choice matters, swapping your pad for a cup is one of the boldest, simplest, most empowering acts of sustainability.
The Flight Forward
At Titli Foundation, we believe small changes lead to big impact. Switching to sustainable options like menstrual cups isn't just better for the planet - it’s a step toward informed, conscious living.
