Sanitary napkin made from banana fiber that can be reused for 120 times launched

An IIT Delhi-incubated startup has come up with first-of-its kind reusable sanitary napkins made from composite banana fiber, which can last up to two years and can be reused around 120 times.

The napkins developed by "Sanfe" with assistance from IIT Delhi professors, have been priced at Rs 199 for two. The team has also filed a patent for the product.

"Most of the 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 or flushed down toilets," said Archit Agarwal, one of the startup founders.

"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," he added.

Agarwal had founded the startup along with Harry Sehrawat, when they were pursuing BTech at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.