Breaking gently with taboo and tradition: Menstrual cups find acceptance in India
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India, the country with the most number of women in the world, is making a sure, even if slow, shift towards menstrual cups (m-cups), makers of such cups and a recent study has shown. Primarily driven by cost savings in hygiene and ease of use, the increasing adoption of m-cups has an unintended outcome: a small dent in the staggering quantum of waste that India generates every year.
Some 12.3 billion disposable menstrual pads are used in India annually, according to NGO Menstrual Health Action for Impact, the majority of which are non-biodegradable. With such waste burden projected to reach 130,000 tonnes by 2030, policymakers have been pivoting to sustainable interventions. A recent study by a government of India enterprise showed a single m-cup can replace approximately 810 disposable pads over five years, offering a massive reduction in landfill waste.
The study by HLL Lifecare Ltd, a public sector unit under the ministry of health and family welfare, has found that more than nine out 10 Indian women are ready to accept or switch to m-cups when counselled on their use and benefits. The study, published in November in the Elsevier – Dialogues in Health journal, was conducted under HLL’s Project Thinkal in Kerala’s Alappuzha district. The project aims to reduce India's escalating sanitary waste crisis while dismantling social taboos surrounding menstruation.
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