August 22, 2019
Pads, Liners, and the Environment
Everyday, we’re reminded of the impact we have on the environment. In the news, on product packaging, in the streets - we’re reminded that the Earth is suffering from our daily activities. A common response to the seemingly increasing threat of Climate Change and irreversible environmental damage, is to make changes in those everyday activities that are harming our planet. Recycling, using less water, and using less electricity are all great strides to help reduce your impact on the environment. But what about your bladder leaks? Can your stress incontinence have an impact? It’s hard to imagine your small bladder problem contributing to a greater global issue, but the waste that SUI can create may have a larger and more lasting effect than you may think.
Often times, women who suffer from Stress Urinary Incontinence turn to disposable pads or pantyliners to help hide and cover up leaks. These reusable products are found with the menstrual or incontinence products in stores and pharmacies, and are made of a cotton blend material along with other polyblend and adhesive materials for stretch and adjustability. Some incontinence products have an absorbing core for longer protection that contains “wood fluff pulp, polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate fibers, cellulose tissue, and superabsorbent (sodium polyacrylate)” according to a popular incontinence underwear brand’s website.These cores are contributing to the plastic waste that doesn’t break down for centuries. While these products may seem like the best solution for SUI symptoms, it may be hurting the environment more than you realize. Using pads or liners for leaks contributes to the 262.4 million tons (2015) of waste added to landfills every year in the U.S. And the fact that most pads are 90% plastic, means that the waste that's created isn't going away anytime soon.
Creating all of this waste is having an immediate and lasting impact on our environment. There is both organic and inorganic waste created by humans. Organic waste is anything that can rot like old food, plants, and paper products. While organic waste does have an impact on Climate Change in creating a greenhouse gas effect, we’re focused on the impact of inorganic waste like pads and liners. This waste has a more visible effect on our surrounding planet, just take a look on the side of the highway or a local beach. Plastic items are littered throughout, harming animals and the ecosystem. If plastic products are disposed of they are either recycled, incinerated, or put in a landfill. Incineration contributes to air pollution, and can affect public health. Plastic that ends up in landfills, as mentioned before, takes years to break down. At most, plastic is broken down into microscopic bits that work their way into our soil, oceans, and freshwater environments.
What is all of this plastic going to do to the environment? What kind of world will future generations live in? The truth is, we don’t know. Scientists and researchers can’t predict the future of our plastic planet, but in all reality this is a new challenge for humans. We created the waste, and now we have to see what kind of impact it’s going to have on the future. Like mentioned before, plastic products take centuries to break down and decompose. It’s reported that disposable diapers, made of much of the same materials as pads and liners, take anywhere from 250-500 years to breakdown in a landfill. While the rate of decomposition can depend on landfill conditions, we’re pretty much guaranteed to not be around to see the final decomposed state of the waste we have created. We’re leaving it behind for our future children and grandchildren to see.
Pads & Liners
Often times, women who suffer from Stress Urinary Incontinence turn to disposable pads or pantyliners to help hide and cover up leaks. These reusable products are found with the menstrual or incontinence products in stores and pharmacies, and are made of a cotton blend material along with other polyblend and adhesive materials for stretch and adjustability. Some incontinence products have an absorbing core for longer protection that contains “wood fluff pulp, polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate fibers, cellulose tissue, and superabsorbent (sodium polyacrylate)” according to a popular incontinence underwear brand’s website.These cores are contributing to the plastic waste that doesn’t break down for centuries. While these products may seem like the best solution for SUI symptoms, it may be hurting the environment more than you realize. Using pads or liners for leaks contributes to the 262.4 million tons (2015) of waste added to landfills every year in the U.S. And the fact that most pads are 90% plastic, means that the waste that's created isn't going away anytime soon.
How Waste Affects the Earth
Creating all of this waste is having an immediate and lasting impact on our environment. There is both organic and inorganic waste created by humans. Organic waste is anything that can rot like old food, plants, and paper products. While organic waste does have an impact on Climate Change in creating a greenhouse gas effect, we’re focused on the impact of inorganic waste like pads and liners. This waste has a more visible effect on our surrounding planet, just take a look on the side of the highway or a local beach. Plastic items are littered throughout, harming animals and the ecosystem. If plastic products are disposed of they are either recycled, incinerated, or put in a landfill. Incineration contributes to air pollution, and can affect public health. Plastic that ends up in landfills, as mentioned before, takes years to break down. At most, plastic is broken down into microscopic bits that work their way into our soil, oceans, and freshwater environments.
The Lasting Impact
What is all of this plastic going to do to the environment? What kind of world will future generations live in? The truth is, we don’t know. Scientists and researchers can’t predict the future of our plastic planet, but in all reality this is a new challenge for humans. We created the waste, and now we have to see what kind of impact it’s going to have on the future. Like mentioned before, plastic products take centuries to break down and decompose. It’s reported that disposable diapers, made of much of the same materials as pads and liners, take anywhere from 250-500 years to breakdown in a landfill. While the rate of decomposition can depend on landfill conditions, we’re pretty much guaranteed to not be around to see the final decomposed state of the waste we have created. We’re leaving it behind for our future children and grandchildren to see.