Ladies! be careful when you throw away your sanitary napkins

Sanitary waste disposal has become an increasing problem in India as the plastic used in disposable sanitary napkins are not bio-degradable and lead to health and environmental hazards.
 Yes, periods are occasionally inconvenient. But what is more inconvenient is disposing off the used sanitary napkins.
Women, both rural and urban, face this question every month while government authorities struggle to find a way to handle the staggering amount of sanitary waste generated every month.While some women wrap it in plastic or paper and throw it along with domestic garbage, some flush them down or throw them into water bodies.  

HERE IS WHAT HAPPENS TO DISPOSED SANITARY NAPKINS AND THE GARBAGE COLLECTORS ? 

After you hand the used napkins over to the garbage collector, the napkins are collected as household waste by garbage collectors and later segregated, often manually.Waste pickers separate out soiled napkins from recyclable items by hand, exposing themselves to micro-organisms like E.Coli, salmonella, staphylococcus, HIV and pathogens that cause hepatitis and tetanus.
After this, the sanitary waste is driven out of the city and buried in a landfill on the outskirts of a city. At times they are shredded before being buried.

Reusable cloth napkins produced by Delhi-based NGO Goonj are low-cost and a relief for rural women who don't have access to sanitary napkins. 

The plastic used in sanitary napkins, which is non-biodegradable, is not only harmful for health, but also has negative consequences on the environment. There are toxic chemicals in DSNs which on prolonged usage of DSNs can be absorbed by the vaginal and labial walls, especially as the skin in these parts are highly vascular with a tendency for greater absorbency.
So, ladies be careful while disposing off your sanitary napkins.

• Wrap the used napkin in its plastic cover or a leak proof bag.
• If unavailable, wrap it in few layers of toilet paper or paper bag
• Discard in a trash that is out of the reach of pets and animals
• Use trash cans located inside cabinets like under the bathroom sinks or ones with lids
• Don't flush, burn or mix it with wet household garbage.