Pooja Singh, an assistant professor at the Symbiosis Centre for Waste Resource Management in Pune, and her colleagues developed biodegradable sanitary pads using water hyacinth collected from local rivers. The work follows a "waste to wealth" model that seeks to turn an invasive plant into a sustainable raw material and to address several environmental and social problems.
The project was one of two winners of the Elsevier Foundation Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge, announced at the Green and Sustainable Chemistry Conference in Pune (March 4-6). The other winner was Mokgadi Hlongwane, a lecturer and environmental advocate from South Africa.
The team designed the pads and the initiative to tackle multiple issues:
- mitigating water pollution caused by hyacinth
- improving plastic waste management
- raising standards of menstrual hygiene
- empowering women in rural communities
- promoting women’s financial independence
Singh explained that skimming and dumping the plant on riverbanks raises carbon emissions and health risks. She hopes eco-friendly pads will reduce reliance on conventional products that contain non-biodegradable polymers and toxins. The project partners with the Swachhatapukare Foundation, which already uses hyacinth to make saris, and plans workshops so local women can produce and sell hyacinth-derived fibre. Singh also researches biochar as a pollutant remover, soil conditioner and carbon capture technology.
Difficult words
- biodegradable — able to be naturally broken down by organisms
- invasive — a species that spreads and causes harm
- raw material — basic substance used to make products
- mitigate — make a problem less severe or harmfulmitigating
- non-biodegradable — does not break down naturally in environment
- biochar — material made by burning plant waste
- polymer — large molecule made of repeating unitspolymers
- empower — give people power or greater controlempowering
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could turning water hyacinth into products benefit local communities and the environment?
- What difficulties might women face when producing and selling hyacinth-derived fibre?
- Do you think biodegradable pads can reduce environmental harm compared with conventional pads? Why or why not?
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