As a facilitator of empowering local women in menstrual hygiene, we are providing two distinct solutions in Karnataka, India.

1. Tie-ups: We will partner with companies that produce menstrual cups and make these products accessible to rural and urban regions. We will use the proceeds from urban regions to make this product more affordable to low-income groups.

2. Technology distribution: Through training, distribution of material and equipment, we will employ low income/rural region women to manufacture reusable cloth-based pads and reusable sanitary napkins made from recycled and compostable material. These pads will be locally distributed by employed saleswomen and also distributed to retail stores to be sold to other regions.

Our products are 100% sustainable with the prototype of the two different sanitary napkins offered.

Reusable Sanitary Napkins:

There are three critical layers undergirding the structure of the reusable sanitary napkin. The top sheet functions as a gateway for fluids into the inner layers (Balda et al., 2021). We will be using recycled cotton from used and disposed saris and other clothing for the top layer because of its superior liquid transfusion (Balda et al., 2021). The second layer is the absorbent core which aims to absorb and retain fluids (Balda et al., 2021). This will be made out of banana fiber because of its ultra-absorbency and composability characteristics (Balda et al., 2021). The final layer is the barrier sheet that aims to prevent leakages, therefore, we are using recycled polyurethane laminate (PUL) products because of its waterproof properties (Balda et al., 2021).

Reusable Cloth-Based Napkins:

Similarly, for the reusable cloth napkins we will use the same materials for the top and barrier sheet. However, for the absorbent core, we will be using recycled flannel cloths in order to facilitate longer reuse (Tewari, 2021).

Long-Term Economic Business Plan

Costs and Funding:

The costs that must be incurred to produce reusable cloth napkins, the first material is quilter's flannel where this material will cost around 350 rupees per metre. Then next is Organic cotton velour which will cost around 550 rupees per kilogram and lastly is cotton knit where we need a cost of 300 rupees per kilogram.

We estimate that at this total cost of 1200 rupees we could make about 3 to 4 napkins. Then for reusable sanitary napkins, to make this we need recycled cotton which will cost around 55 rupees per kilogram, then we also need banana fibre which costs 150 rupees per kilogram. Then the last material is PUL Fabric which will cost 120 rupees per metre. With a total cost of 325 Rupees, we will get 2 to 3 Napkins because to make reusable sanitary napkins you will use a lot of banana fibre. For our financial resources, we will approach medical experts, so that these medical personnel will be able to convince the government to provide subsidies. Then the second is to approach the local community, and when we are able to mingle with them, we will create a fundraiser.

Demand and Long-Term Sustainability:

Approximately half of the world’s population experience menstruation with 20% of the world’s menstruating girls located in India (Garikipati et al., 2019). Therefore, there is a large demand for our product to sustain our business model in the long-term. Additionally, with heightened awareness of environmental waste issues, there will be an increase in the demand for sustainable alternatives for menstrual products, of which our products provide without sacrificing the comfortability and affordability most people desire (Achuthan et al., 2021; Tewari, 2021).