As per the Nepalese calendar today is the day called as ‘’Rishipanchami’’ when the girls who had had their period goes near to river to  pray to god and ask forgiveness for the sin they have done after being on their menstrual cycle. This is the taboos existing in our society and still there is the system called as ‘’chaupadi’’ in far western region of Nepal where women/girls on their period have to live and sustain their four days in dark room isolated far away from house. This taboos ever hit my mind, and its so ridiculous that still the people of today generation following the same pattern. Why people cannot understand menstruation is not a sin it’s an achievement i.e. maturity to the women, natural and most healthy phenomenon taking place on women’s body.

Lying under those sky thoughts ever popped on my head, Have I really done any sin after being on my period? And my brain stimulate me and answer yes and yes, menstrual and period shaming have the massive impact due to the product we are using during our period that contributes negative results in the health, end up incinerated or in landfills, pollution on the beach and the formation of sanitary pad ocean.We hear and have discussed on plastic pollution from various cup, straw, coffee cups etc, conduct awareness, conduct cleanliness campaign and so on. But, Do you know the sanitary product used during period consists of 90% plastics? Period products such as tampons, sanitary pads, sanitary napkins are predominantly made from massive plastics, which makes even harder for them to be broken down and degrade when mixed with sewage. According to the research what they have found that one pack of the sanitary pad is equivalent to quantity of plastic as four carried bag and we know plastics takes nearly 500 years for their decomposition. Now imagine, it has been estimated that the average women will dispose 11,000 sanitary product approximately 200kg menstrual product in her lifetime, now imagine half of the world population is female. Furthermore 8% of all waste that enter water treatment comes from the period waste as described by Water UK. Menstrual product has a great impact on the climate too which leaves carbon footprint of 5.3 kg Co2 equivalent. Not only in developing countries as majority of people from developing countries are illiterate but what the research has claimed that much from a developed countries sanitary products are flushed down the toilet. Approximately 700000 panty liners, 2.5 millions tampons and 1.4 millions sanitary towels are flushed down the toilet in the UK every single day as per the Journal of The Institution of Environment Sciences. Figure from the Marine Conservation Society reveal that on average 4.8 pieces of menstrual waste are found per 100m of beach cleaned. For every 100m beach that amount 4 pads, panty liners and baking stripes along with at least a tampon and applicator. All the product are mixed in the ocean and changing the water ocean into red ocean of sanitary pads and we all know plastic is extremely dangerous and detrimental to the marine life. And I consider this as a sin not a taboos.

Now it a turn to pass our period day without using those plastic and leaving your footmarks to environment. Reducing period waste is not just a care of throwing used sanitary products in the bin rather than the toilet but using alternative method to make period as a plastic free period. Various new methods have been developed to reduce the carbon footprint. So  to reduce these controversies menstrual cup made up of medical grade silicon can be used, organic tampons and pads from cotton can be used to make plastic free period.

I spoke today now its our turn to take it wisely and leave no any carbon footmarks on this beautiful environment. Cant we???????