Today there is a lot of buzz by the companies claiming to use 100% natural materials in their products. The fancy used terms often have us in awe of how much the company cares about their consumers and the environment.

But, are the claims true? So, today we are going to ensure you know the exact meaning of the terms and what to look for in the products to actually understand if the companies are actually true to us or no.

Bio-degradable

Since childhood what we have learnt since school is anything that breaks down in the environment over some time is known as bio-degradable. There is no solid definition of bio-degradable available as the time and conditions required for each substance to decompose is different.

For example, on average, a woman uses approximately 16,800 sanitary napkins in her lifetime but it takes nearly 800-1000 years for them to decompose. So, can we call them bio-degradable? Absolutely not!

So, what is it that we need to focus on while purchasing a sanitary napkin? One important aspect is “how much time is the material taking to decompose?”

Sanitary pads made out of natural raw materials like bamboo fibre, corn, banana fibre, cotton is not just environmentally friendly but also protects women from deadly diseases like cervical or ovarian cancer and they decompose within a span of 2 years.

Compostable

Material that decomposes completely into compost without producing visible or toxic substances which harm the environment. A product that is made using naturally available substances decompose completely as micro-organisms found in nature are familiar with them and can carry out decomposition easily without leaving behind harmful toxins.

Whereas a product created in a laboratory using synthetic materials are unknown to these micro-organisms present in nature. So, they end in land-fills causing pollution.

Looking at this we can understand that a bio-degradable substance may not necessary is compostable in nature, but a compostable product can definitely be bio-degradable.

Now, how to understand if a product is compostable or not. The product must meet certain standards set such as European standard EN B432 or US standard ASTM D6400. These standards have set guidelines that a company needs to follow to get authentication for health standards.

But we also need to understand not all products are compostable at home, they are majorly done at an industrial composting facility.

Hence, whenever you buy products looking at the packaging and fancy words, ensure you check the contents or ingredients used. Here are some lesser-known facts we all need to know:

1. A plastic sanitary napkin if left in the waters it will absorb the water as they are made to absorb any form of liquid they never break down instead block the sewage.
2. When we dump them with our garbage, it eventually lands up in the dumping ground. If they are handled with bare hands can cause deadly diseases to the person handling them.
3. Sanitary products produce nearly over 100 billion pieces of waste each year and nearly 80% of one sanitary product contain non-biodegradable synthetic materials and plastic.

“One change also matters” we all need to make this a mantra and ensure each one should contribute by switching to organic sanitary napkins to have safe and happy menstruation.

Buy Staygreen Pads for healthy and happy periods and help yourself as well as the environment.