Growing up seems like fun for all females unless and until they start observing changes in their bodies. In terms of science, the changes are actually the outcomes of hormonal changes in the body. Adolescents observe hair growth in pubic areas of their bodies. In addition to external changes, hormones also influence the inner functioning of the body. This is why females, after the age of around 14-15, start menstruating. With the beginning of the menstruation cycle, they also begin responding to their health for the same cause. For this reason, the use of regular sanitary pads or reusable sanitary towels becomes a must. Among these, regular sanitary pads are subject to many concerns. Through this guide, we will be going to discuss these concerns and their possible solutions.
What Are Sanitary Products?
Sanitary pads are among the most significant inventions of mankind. The main objective behind the creation of these products was the maintenance of women’s menstrual hygiene. Every female who attains her puberty has to use sanitary pads to contain her monthly flow, which could last for around four to five days. Puberty age in females is the age at which they start menstruating. During their periods, females suffer many issues, including stress, body ache, irritation, and so on. The major cause contributing to the irritation is wetness which happens due to the menstrual flow.
To keep a check on unnecessary wetness, women use sanitary pads. These absorb the menstrual flow and prevent excessive wetness. This helps in reducing irritation. Sanitary products include an absorbing material wrapped between a layer of covering material. The material for covering decides the nature of the product for recycling or disposal.
In regular pads, plastic material envelops the absorbent region. In contrast to it, the best reusable sanitary pads UK covers the absorbing agent with cotton fibre. The manufacturers use bamboo or banana fibre as an active absorbent in these pads.
Is It Possible To Reuse Sanitary Pads?
This is a question common for many, whether the sanitary pads are reusable or not? The answer for this lies with the kind of material used in manufacturing sanitary products. According to it, products in which plastic lining is used for covering the absorbing agent are non-recyclable. In contrast to it, the products made up of cotton fibre as a covering for the absorbent are good for reuse.
What Are The Reasons For Non-Suitability of Regular Pads For Recycling?
There are basically two reasons for the non-suitability of regular pads for recycling, which involve:
- Sanitary Reason: One of the reasons sanitary pads are not suitable for recycling lies with the hygienic causes. You can better understand this if you know the objective behind the use of sanitary pads. Well, if you do not know, sanitary pads are used to contain the menstrual flow from the vagina during periods. This signifies the direct contact of pads with blood and body tissues. And according to scientific facts as well as ancient scriptures, anything that comes in contact with discharged blood becomes susceptible to the growth of harmful bacteria. This is why it is not feasible to recycle regular pads.
- Material Reason: This is a reason that is significant in defining the non-suitability of recycling materials. According to this, the material used for manufacturing pads has a coating of thin plastic materials. The plastic coating makes the pad efficient for usage. However, these are not of a highly absorbing nature. Due to the limited absorbing capacity of these fibre materials, these fail on the necessary parameters for reuse. This is why these are also known as use-and-throw pads.
The parameters mentioned above define why regular pads are not good for recycling or reusing. Although these are not suitable for reuse, there is an eco-friendly alternative for menstrual health management.
Eco-Friendly Alternative For Menstrual Health
Due to the rising awareness about menstrual health among women, the demand for sanitary pads is rising potently. Although sanitary pads are good for menstrual health management, sanitary waste management is not that easy. At present, there is not a single practice that could prevent the rising pollution level caused due to disposal of used pads. However, with the use of washable menstrual pads, we can contribute to preventing our mother earth.
Yes, you read correctly; an eco-friendly alternative is available for single-use pads. This alternative is reusable sanitary towels. Reusable pads are made up of banana or bamboo fibre. Bamboo fibre is of a highly absorbing nature, which makes it suitable for preventing heavy menstrual flow. Also, this fibre has antibacterial properties that prevent microorganisms’ growth in the vaginal region. This makes these pads efficient for use.
What Is The Dedicated Waste Category For Sanitary Products?
After learning about the alternative for regular pads, you may be thinking about the category in which regular pads come in. Well, the answer lies with the sanitary or solid waste category. Yes, regular pads come under the solid waste category. The reason for the non-inclusion of regular pads in the dry waste category is that the dry waste category includes items such as glass, wood, plastic alloys, etc.
The addition of single-use pads in a dedicated solid waste category makes these products vulnerable to spreading serious health issues to other living creatures. This is why proper treatment of waste becomes a must.
Concluding The Context
Sanitary pads are necessary for females of menstruating age. The reason for this has been explained in the above points. Although sanitary products are good for many reasons, these pose serious challenges to the environment. This is why we need to focus on some convenient and eco-friendly measures. For this reason, the use of reusable sanitary pads UK is a thousand times better alternative to regular pads, as women can easily reuse these pads by washing them with normal detergent.
Now, here arises a question where to seek high-quality reusable products? Well, you can check Minksie’s official platform. This platform offers premium quality sanitary products at an affordable price range. Hence, you can also manage your monthly budget by using reusable products. Check Minksie’s official platform for more information about these products.
