Sanitary pad disposal bags mandatory from Jan 2021: Javadekar

Sanitary napkin manufacturing companies will have to compulsorily provide bio-degradable disposal bags in the packets from January next year, the Centre announced on Sunday.

The decision coincided with the International Women's Day festivities.

"We have observed that production and usage of sanitary napkins and diapers has greatly increased in the country, however they are still being discarded in a way which is harmful to waste-pickers," Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Prakash Javadekar said at a function in Pune.

"We will implement the rule that January 2021 onwards all sanitary pad manufacturers will have to compulsorily give degradable bags for disposal of each sanitary napkin. This rule is already in existence but is not being followed by the manufacturers," he said.

Javadekar, who is also the Information & Broadcasting Minister, said that we should address the waste pickers as ‘Swachhta Sevika’.

Interacting with female workers’ SWaCH Pune, a wholly-owned workers’ cooperative on the occasion, he said that he had decided to give funds from Member of Parliament Local Area Development Fund for construction of 50 big and 50 small garbage sheds which are designed by SWaCH.

"We have to ensure that decentralized model wherein garbage by educational institutes and housing societies should be disposed at the premises itself," he said.

There is rule for compulsory picking of garbage and disposal for municipal towns, this rule will be made compulsory for all the habitations with more than 3, 000 population.

“Women have 4 important qualities namely consistency, compassion, courage and capacity for decision-making. I salute the Swachhta sevikas gathered here today who help in realizing the dream of Swachh, Swasth, Hit and Fit India.”

Founder of SWaCH Laxmi Narayan said on this occasion that, “Garbage should be disposed off in decentralized way. The money spent on transport of garbage should be utilized in encouraging people to make garbage into compost at the source. It will be great help if the plant buying plastic waste is located in Pune, which shall create value and provide incentive for waste pickers and segregation”.