Q&A: Understanding the environmental impacts of menstrual health and hygiene practices

Menstrual health and hygiene are intricately linked to environmental issues, climate change and sustainability. Primarily, the prevalent use of non-recyclable and non-biodegradable disposable menstrual products, like sanitary pads and tampons, harms the environment. Their lifecycle pollutes water bodies and landfills, leading to microplastics and other environmental and health hazards. 

Increasing demand for sanitary pads in low- and middle-income countries, exacerbated by urbanization, presents challenges in menstrual waste management. People in many countries resort to burning, burying, or disposing of these products in toilets or latrines.  Such disposal methods negatively impact air and soil quality and hamper sanitation systems, jeopardizing the health of both the public and waste management and sanitation workers in those communities. 

While reusable menstrual products, including menstrual cups and cloth pads, are environmentally friendly and promote individual health, challenges hinder their widespread adoption. These challenges include societal menstrual stigma and barriers like limited access to water, sanitation, hygiene services and product affordability. For vulnerable populations such as the homeless, displaced individuals, migrants and informal settlement residents, these challenges are even starker. Therefore, it is vital that sustainable menstrual health and hygiene efforts understand the unique circumstances each individual faces, providing solutions tailored to their context. 

The negative environmental impacts of unsustainable menstrual hygiene practices are clear. However, as climate-induced extreme weather events such as droughts and floods increase, managing menstruation becomes even more challenging for individuals. These events in particular limit access to essentials like water, sanitation facilities, safe disposal methods and MHHM products.  

As these resources become scarcer due to the escalating impacts of climate change, efforts to improve menstrual hygiene practices are at risk of being undone. Therefore, it is imperative to proactively address climate change adaptation while also promoting sustainable menstrual practices, since these challenges are closely intertwined. 

First and foremost, we must acknowledge that there is no universal solution to MHHM challenges. It is important to have insight into how menstruation is understood in the context of our work, and that means understanding the diverse experiences of all individuals who menstruate, including those who are gender nonconforming. Each person’s menstrual experience is unique, influenced by factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, social class and sexual orientation.  

Deepening our understanding of the impacts of frequent and intense weather events, like floods and heatwaves, on MHHM is also essential, especially for populations facing the pronounced menstrual inequalities. Acknowledging and understanding these diverse experiences is vital for designing effective and inclusive public policies and interventions that respond to the unique needs of each community. 

Implementing informed, harm-free initiatives necessitates investing in research exploring and its environment effects. This research should address several key areas: 

1. Understanding the environmental impact of different menstrual hygiene products, from manufacturing to disposal.  
2. Enhancing the design and implementation of menstrual waste management systems.  
3. Identifying and challenging norms and beliefs influencing MHHM, particularly disposal practices.  
4. Exploring effective communication channels to raise awareness among diverse groups about the environmental impact of menstrual products.  
5. Strengthening multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral collaboration for coordinated and comprehensive public policy development. 
6. Establishing quality standards for MHHM products to ensure they are safe for both people and the environment. 

Product accessibility is vital, but holistic MHHM should encompass more. This includes better water and sanitation access, effective menstrual waste disposal systems and challenging menstrual stigma by educating boys and men. 

The diverse insights and expertise of the recent roundtable highlights the importance of a holistic approach. We must recognize that our efforts hold the potential to foster more equitable and sustainable menstrual health and hygiene practices, ultimately benefitting both our environment and human health.