Organic sanitary pads are pads made of organic materials. That is, organic cotton or plant base top cover. Some of these plant top covers include corn, bamboo, banana, or cellulose absorbent core. Pads should meet various standards for them to be considered organic. Some of these standards include:
They should be 100% organic material
Most organic pads are made up of cotton. This means that the cotton should be purely grown using organic compounds. Starting with cultivating the crop without fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and any other chemicals.
Organic pads are free from any inorganic substance
This includes plastics, chlorine, latex, rayon and any other chemical substance. This makes the pads free from chemicals and everything can be decomposed.
Organic pads should not release any form of dioxin.
Some of the compounds used in the manufacture of inorganic pads release dioxins. This substance is a dangerous pollutant to the environment. When released into the atmosphere, it combines with air to cause severe air pollution. Organic pads should be free from these chemical substances.
Organic pads contain an absorbent cellulose core
This cellulose core provides the organic pads with the ability to lock away menstrual fluid to keep you dry. It also allows your skin to breathe because of the soft organic cotton cover.
Organic pads should be animal friendly
Organic tampons shouldn’t affect animals either directly or indirectly. The raw materials should be grown using products that are purely organic and that cannot cause a disturbance to the ecosystem. For example, when we control pests using pesticides, birds that feed on nectar may get affected by these chemicals. This can lead to poisoning for the birds, eventually disrupting the whole ecosystem and leading to low yields in the long run. Therefore, organic pads should not have negative effects on the environment at all.
Organic pads should be ecosystem friendly in nature
Most sanitary pads are normally termed as a source of plastic wastes. Plastics can take hundreds of years before they decompose. And incineration does not solve the problem either. The fumes produced from the incinerator are very poisonous and may contain harmful hydrocarbon compounds. These compounds do not decompose easily and can clog the ozone layer. Using organic pads will help curb this problem since they're biodegradable and take about two years to decompose only.
Organic pads should be clean
They are supposed to be made with materials that are not contaminated and which cannot harm your body. Using contaminated pads can cause infections to the genitals which can lead to toxic shock syndrome.
In conclusion, organic pads, just like any other sanitary pad, must meet all FDA standards before being used to ensure minimal health complications.
References
- https://www.heydaycare.com/nine-ways-why-organic-sanitary-pads-will-change-your-life/
- https://nannocare.com/blogs/news/pros-and-cons-of-using-organic-pads
- https://www.fda.gov/home