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A new life cycle study published in the Journal of IOP Publishing Sustainability and technology has discovered a promising alternative to plastic sanitary products that may lead to far reduced sanitary waste. Sanitary cushions made of corn starch are 17 -more environmentally friendly than plastic equipment.
The high concentration of plastic in disposable products is a direct threat to the environment. An estimated 200,000 tons of sanitary products are disposed of every year, and the vast majority of them end up in the ocean.
Key statistics:
- Sanitary cushions made of corn starch are 17 -more environmentally friendly than plastic equipment.
- Each menstrual person uses around 120 kg of menstrual products in their lives.
- Sanitary cushions consist of 90% plastic that correspond to about 4 plastic bags.
- 55,000 tons of plastic sanitary waste a year in North American water bodies.
Scientists found that a biodegradable material with cornstarch was used over the course of a year, which is referred to as polylactic acid (PLA) in order to generate sanitary products by 17 -x. Due to the more sustainable manufacturing processes of the material compared to plastics on a fossil basis, the PLA-Base pads show a lower global heating potential and the toxicity of the material.
Even taking into account that the production of PLA contributes to higher land use, the general renewable procurement and a lower environmental footprint reduces the environmental impact in comparison to available plastic products.
Sustainable alternatives to traditional sanitary products are not used by large companies because they require commercial quantities to make these high -level products profitable and affordable. Maiskree -based products are easy to produce and can be scaled so that large companies can use them as an effective and sustainable alternative.
Corn is one of the most widespread plants in the world and is used for a variety of purposes, including food for people and cattle, biofuel production and as raw materials in many industrial products. The global corn trade comprises many countries, which makes it a significant player on the international trading market and enables large companies to buy large quantities.
Alice Medeiros de Lima, the corresponding author of the study, says: “The research of sustainable sanitary materials has all shown that there are many alternatives to traditional products, the key to widespread acceptance is to produce production, price and scalability in the harmful effects of harmful effects of plastic base in the environment, the shift of corn -updities.
Reference: Pereira Bam, Martins No, Dantas SC, Medeiros de Lima A. Assessment of the substitution of polyethylene by polylic acid in sanitary cushions through life cycle assessment. Stain SCI Technol Stave. 2025; 2 (2): 024002. Two: 10.1088/2977-3504/ADBDD2
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