IIT Delhi incubated startup Sanfe launches reusable sanitary pads

Sanfe, IIT Delhi-incubated startup for designing and developing products for improving female health and hygiene, today forayed into the sanitary napkin/pad segment with the launch of first Reusable Sanitary Pads, made with composite banana fiber, which can last upto two years (around 120 washes).

Sanfe Reusable Pad is developed by Archit Agarwal (CEO and Co-founder) and Harry Sehrawat (COO and Co-founder), based on inputs from several IIT Delhi Professors. The reusable pads are ultra-thin and are highly absorbent with Quadrant True Lock Technology which makes the pad leakproof and avoids creating any rashes. A patent has also been filed for the design. A pack of two pads is priced at Rs. 199.

These reusable sanitary pads can be used multiple times (upto 120 times) after washing them in cold water with detergent after every use. A Reusable Sanitary Pad is made up of four layers of different fabrics.

1. Polyester Pilling - This fabric is highly wicking and doesn’t absorb the fluid, giving a dry experience throughout the day time.

2. Terry and Banana Fibers including viscose and Polyester Fibers - This part is highly absorbent, soaking and absorbing all the fluids making napkins highly absorbent.

3. Cotton Polyurethane Laminate - This is a breathable layer with water resistant properties giving leak-proof experience.

With these reusable sanitary pads, Sanfe is trying to address the huge problem of disposable pad waste burdening our planet. According to Menstrual Hygiene Alliance of India (MHAI) there are almost 336 million menstruating women in India, of which 36% use disposable sanitary pads summing up to 121 million. India has approximately 12.3 billion disposable sanitary napkins to be taken care of every year, and a majority of these are non-biodegradable. Most of these sanitary napkins are made of synthetic materials and plastic, which can take more than 50-60 years to decompose. This enormous amount of menstrual waste is usually dumped in landfills, thrown in open spaces and water bodies, burnt, buried (shallow burial) or flushed down toilets. These disposal techniques create a hazard for the environment. For instance, burning releases carcinogenic fumes in the form of dioxins creating an air pollution hazard, putting this waste in landfills only adds to the burden of waste, and so on.

In African Countries, Government Bodies, NGOs and UN Bodies have adapted to reusable pads which is a part of Sustainable Menstrual Hygiene and started distributing the pads to school girls making the switch to reusable pads.

#IBleedGreen Movement

Speaking on the occasion of the launch Archit Aggarwal, Founder Sanfe and B.Tech student at IIT Delhi said, “Due to the taboo around it, women hygiene has been neglected in thought and talk. With our innovations in women hygiene, we want to empower women and make their life simpler. Even for women welfare, Government and NGOs regularly distribute subsidized disposable sanitary napkins in rural and semi urban areas which is a huge cost and harm to environment accounting only for a short term solution. We urge these organizations to switch to Reusable Pads under #IBleedGreen movement and can save upto 75% of the cost.

Prof. Srinivasan Venkataraman, Assistant Professor in the Department of Design at IIT Delhi commended the efforts of Sanfe. “This startup has carved a niche in the domain of women healthcare and hygiene with the launch of another useful product. All the products of Sanfe cater to the important needs of women, use simple science and are sold at affordable prices in the market.”

Mr Sanjay Kumar, Chief General Manager - Business Development at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Mumbai said, the premier technical institutes like IITs and their incubated companies are well known for coming up with path-breaking and revolutionary innovations. Sanfe located at The Technology Business Incubator (TBI) of IIT Delhi is one such organization that has been undertaking excellent and responsible work in feminine hygiene and wellness space. As HPCL stands by the progressive thinking and meaningful innovations, particularly towards empowering women, it will explore ways to jointly popularize the reusable period care product range under the flagship initiative of Government of India - Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. We congratulate the Sanfe team for this innovation and wish them grand success.