Going after sustainability goals: This takes the cup

When G Nagaraj, AKA Plog Raj, a personal firm worker, who has been conducting plogging drives not solely within the metropolis however in 18 different cities of the nation, got here throughout the difficulty of disposing of sanitary napkins, he realised that it’ll take a variety of effort to make the shift to sustainable menstrual practices. On Could 28, which is noticed as Menstruation Day, Plog Raj got here up with an concept to cut back using sanitary napkins, however switching to sanitary cups. So this festive season, they kicked off the Santa Cupman drive.

“Because the title padman was fairly well-known and we’re spreading consciousness about utilizing cups, I considered the title cupman could be apt. We started work on the drive in June and tied up with many organisations who helped us to get reusable pads and cups,” he mentioned.

Girls’s well being is males’s trigger too

The thought additionally was to incorporate males too to grasp about sustainable practices. To date the staff has carried out 4 drives with the assistance of organisations like Stonesoup, Mitu basis, Svetah and Jhatkaa. Raj has interacted with over 500 girls and has distributed 500-plus reusable pads and cups within the metropolis.

“Intervals or menstruation isn’t just a women-specific situation. I really feel that even males ought to encourage girls to take up sustainable menstruation. Merchandise resembling menstruation cups or pads are eco-friendly and pocket pleasant. There are lots of in poor health results of disposable napkins being utilized by girls and the entire goal of this 12 months’s drive being a cupman is to make it possible for even males communicate to girls about sustainable menstruation and extra importantly create consciousness,” he mentioned.

Plogging military conducts workshops in affiliation with non-public firms, which give them with the cups and eco-friendly pads; girls get their doubts about menstrual cups cleared at a camp

Plog Raj made positive to incorporate male volunteers in consciousness drive too. “We are saying that each women and men are equal and we’re coexisting however why aren’t we speaking about girls’s well being and hygiene as effectively? When girls can handle us so effectively why ought to we hesitate to speak about their well being? These are the few questions which I all the time ask the lads and most of them agree with me and wish to be a part of the drive to know what are issues girls might face utilizing the common napkins,” he mentioned.

Some worries and anxieties cleared

Final week, throughout one among their drives in Vannarpet in Viveknagar, Raj spoke to the ladies and distributed cups and reusable pads to create consciousness. The ladies too brazenly spoke in regards to the superstitions round intervals and clarified their doubts earlier than taking on the cups and reusable pads. “Even in the course of the plog runs, we discover a variety of napkins disposed and nobody is comfortable to select it up. The thought is to create consciousness and that it has to go in a part of reject and sanitary waste and never a part of moist and dry waste. Quite a lot of households have worries about permitting younger women to make use of cups and a variety of consciousness continues to be wanted for individuals to grasp the idea.”

Francis Xavier, a upkeep supervisor at an condominium complicated, mentioned that his household additionally took half within the consciousness drive in Vannarpet and he too would advise different males to speak about sustainable menstruation and break the taboo. “These cups are reusable and are innocent which is secure for ladies to make use of it. I’ll suggest others in addition to my household to make use of it,” he mentioned.

Esther Mary who was additionally a part of the drive mentioned girls have a variety of questions in relation to utilizing cups and would slightly use reusable pads than cups.

“These cups are reusable, eco-friendly and don’t have an effect on our pores and skin not like disposable pads. Girls can use it for 3 to 4 hours and later empty it within the washroom and reuse it after cleansing the cup. These cups can be utilized for eight years and is pleasant to all of the age teams. Girls would possibly assume that it’s uncomfortable to make use of, however it isn’t and other people use these cups whereas swimming, working and doing any sort of actions,” she mentioned.

A lady who participated within the drive confirmed that this was her worry. “I had heard about cups however I used to be not comfy in making an attempt the brand new product. I had heard additionally that every cup prices about Rs. 800 so I didn’t consider utilizing it until date. I had many questions which had been clarified right this moment and I’ve determined to make use of cups any further,” she mentioned.