In India, two entrepreneurs have created biodegradable sanitary napkins from the stems of kenaf fibers.
Dubbed Bliss Pads, Niveda R and Gowthan S chose stems of kenaf, also known as Hibiscus cannabinus, because the kenaf leaf is widely consumed in South India.
“We use kenaf fibers, which are derived from the stem of the kenaf plant. The kenaf fibers are a good absorbent and have anti-microbial properties. After a deeper understanding of this quality, we decided to make sanitary napkins using kenaf as an alternative to commercial synthetic pads,” says Niveda R.
The two cofounded the company, Bliss, in September 2018 and began manufacturing. The pads, which contain no plastic, take just 6-8 months to biodegrade in the environment.