M U N I C I PA L F E AT U R E
Single-use menstrual products such as tampons and pads are a significant contributor globally to single-use plastic waste. They can contain up to 90% plastic.
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anitar y products have become essential for making personal hygiene more accessible and convenient in daily life; however, without proper collection and disposal, these can add a significant amount of waste to the environment. Sanitary waste has hazardous effects – not only on global warming but also on human health and our water resources. Studies have estimated that approximately 121 million women dispose of around eight sanitary pads per menstrual cycle. Meaning that around 12.3 billion disposable pads are added to landfills annually. The varied composition of single-use menstrual products, together with the presence of organic matter after use, makes their recycling technically and economically expensive. As a result, the vast majority of these products are landfilled or incinerated. To tackle this issue, there needs to be a system in place to properly dispose of menstruation waste, especially used sanitary plastic pads. In South Africa, sanitary waste disposal is regulated and governed by the following key pieces of legislation:
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Tackling sanitary waste with dignity
• Occupational Health and Safety Act (No. 85 of 1993) • National Environmental Management: Waste Act (No. 59 of 2008, NEMWA) • Draft National Regulations on Healthcare Risk Waste (NEMWA). The Western Cape utilises the Western Cape’s Health Care Risk Waste Management Regulations (2013) and the Sanitar y Dignity Implementation Framework policy that is meant to guide these issues.
Significant contributor to single-use plastic waste In November 2022, the Branch Committee for the Western Cape Depar tment of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning hosted an event titled ‘Tackling waste and dignity: What can we do about sanitar y waste?’. This event attracted nearly 50 attendees and focused on the issue of sanitar y waste and the alternatives that can reduce this waste stream, while also offering dignity and empowerment. Bonté Edwards, from Circular Vision, star ted the evening off with a comprehensive over view of the sanitar y waste issue. The problems highlighted included the fact that sanitar y wear
(feminine hygiene products, nappies and adult incontinence products) are single-use items that contain 90% plastic. These products are generally individually wrapped in plastic and tend to become environmentally challenging when they are not disposed of properly. Edwards added that this waste stream poses management challenges at landfills and wastewater treatment works. “We need to move away from a linear ‘take-make-dispose’ economy, to one that is more circular and enables resources to be kept in use and made to last.” Zooming in on menstrual products, Edwards referenced a 2021 UNEP study – titled ‘Single-use menstrual products and their alternatives’ – which makes recommendations based on lifecycle assessments and found that, in all circumstances, reusable menstrual products, such as menstrual cups and reusable pads, had substantially lower environmental impacts than commonly available single-use options.
A reusable pad With millions of girls missing three to five days of school each month during their