Stepping ahead towards a sustainable way of living
– Seema Khandale
It’s 2021, our planet is suffering from lots of problems when it comes to climate change. It’s time for each of us to take action by accepting the sustainable options available to us. What is the meaning of Sustainable? In simple words, it means using methods or materials that won’t harm your natural cycle.
Many of us might feel that it’s impossible for one person to make a difference where there are billions of others who neglect the fact of climate change, but there is always room for everyone to make a small change that can make a significant impact.
Women in India use disposal pads to manage their periods. It looks like the easiest option available in the market at every shop, store etc. As it’s one time use and throw option, it seems easy to use and throw away after using it. Before throwing this soiled napkin, we wrap it in an old newspaper, search for a polythene bag, tie few knots tightly and throw it in our dustbins, which is our domestic waste. This in general is dumped on the landfills. No sorting is done with the sanitary waste and other. Apart from filling the landfills with toxins, this affects the rag picker community too, as these people don’t have access to basic sources like sanitizers, gloves etc. And hence, this affects their health.
Moreover, all these plastic made sanitary pads will not get decomposed for several years. We only say that they will be there for 500 or 1000 yrs, but we don’t really know the exact duration. It might be even more! So if we think of the first pads which we have thrown away years back, we may still find them lying on this earth.
So it becomes imperative to ask a few simple questions to ourselves,
*What are we going to give to our next generation?
*Are we helping them to live in a clean environment in the future years of their life?
*Don’t they have the right to live in a healthy and clean environment?
*And after polluting our one and only one Mother Earth, who will be helping us to fulfill all our basic needs?
It’s high time we think and step forward by choosing sustainable menstruations options.
Let’s be safe, hygienic and protect our environment too!
