‘Go Green’, the biodegradable Heyday to revolutionise sanitary napkins
Menstruating blood, although not traumatically induced; the stigma and the menstrual taboo is hard to deal with.
This one is for all you women out there. A biodegradable and organic sanitary napkin made of corn & bamboo fibre.
Deepanjali Dalmi, founder of Heyday, a biodegradable brand comes up with the unique idea of using nature; replacing the conventional plastic sanitary napkins.
Prioritising women hygiene and talking about the hush-hush topic especially in Indian society, Dalmi, a Marwari background entrepreneur pronounced, “When I initially came up with the idea of developing a new sanitary napkin, my family was left aghast.”
Initially, she was asked, “Why don’t you pick anything personal hygiene approximating soaps, shampoos?” “What matters at the end of the day, you need to be open-minded” she wittily replied.
Realizing the crisis that India is undergoing, “The idea of Heyday was born when I was researching about the personal hygiene market in India.”
Sanitary napkins that are sold in India right now are made of 90% plastic and contain chemicals, SAP bleaches that are carcinogenic and harmful to our bodies and the environment. About 9,000 tons of soiled sanitary napkin waste is generated in India every year.
Targeting market research, a group of women were brought together and made them test the prototypes.
The whole process took two years and finally, zeroed in two superabsorbents, naturally anti-bacterial plants-bamboo and corn.
Each napkin has a biodegradable cover; with the seven layers of highly-absorbent bamboo fibre on the top sheet, the cornstarch bottom sheet and bio-active lactate. Heyday napkins are available in two types-Ultra-thin and Maxi Fluff. A pack of seven costs Rs 79 and the price goes up to Rs 165 for a pack of 14.
The disposed sanitary napkin doesn’t go into a landfill. It’s a part of general household waste which degrades into natural manure. The plants are situated in China and Finland and package them in India.
This comes as a big relief after the nation saw a nationwide protest demanding a rollback on the 12% Goods and Services Tax levied on sanitary napkins this year.
Nattering about the prevalent achievement, “Corporate have monopolised the sanitary napkin market. If any of these giants get slightly threatened by us and come up with a biodegradable solution that’s what worth the innovation.”
This one is for you all you women out there. A biodegradable & organic sanitary napkin made of corn & bamboo @Sauraviz #ChangingIndia pic.twitter.com/CyFyWnxla5
— CNBC-TV18 News (@CNBCTV18News) November 9, 2017
Well-said Dalmi, Fear doesn’t drive one forward!