Sustainability assessment of sanitary pad solutions to reduce period poverty

Production, disposal, and access to menstrual products pose significant challenges in middle- and low-income regions intensifying period poverty. This underscores the urgent need to find sustainable and affordable sanitary product alternatives. This study discusses and compares various types of sanitary pads considering environmental, economic, and social aspects. The labor conditions associated with the production of materials used in sanitary pads and the high cost of disposable plastic-based pads were found to be the main causes of the social and economic strains. A life cycle assessment and environmental cost indicator (ECI) for disposable and reusable pads (virgin cotton, recycled cotton, banana fibers) reveal that disposable pads incur high costs and environmental challenges due to plastic content. Reusable cotton pads can be sustainable, especially if made from recycled cotton, but banana fiber pads are the most environmentally, economically, and socially viable, with an ECI 7 times lower than disposable pads and 3 times lower than reusable cotton pads since 77% of its materials are sourced from agricultural waste. Consequently, it is recommended to encourage the use of bio-based pads like banana fiber pads since their fabrication process is sustainable and simple as materials can be easily sourced. If properly managed, bio-based reusable pads can enable local and women-led production, empowering and providing women with an income source, while ensuring affordable access to sanitary products to combat period poverty.