08/06/2025

ON SUNDAY JUNE 8, 2025 theSunday Special V

M ENSTRUATION is a natural process, but its environmental impact doesn’t have to be det rimental. In Malaysia, discussions about menstrual health are ¿QDOO\ HPHUJLQJ IURP WKH VKDGRZV VSDUN LQJ D TXLHW UHYROXWLRQ WKDW SULRULWLVHV sustainability in period care. H HUH LV DQ LQWHUHVWLQJ WLGELW FRQYHQ tional sanitary pads can contain up to 90% SODVWLF 0DQ\ RI WKHVH SURGXFWV DUH WUHDWHG ZLWK FKHPLFDO EOHDFKHV DQG HQFDVHG LQ OD\HUV RI QRQ ELRGHJUDGDEOH PDWHULDOV 7KLV QRW RQO\ SRVHV ULVNV WR YDJLQDO KHDOWK but also harms the environment. A VLQJOH SDG FDQ WDNH DV ORQJ DV \HDUV WR GHFRPSRVH OHDYLQJ D ODVWLQJ LPSDFW WKDW IDU H[FHHGV WKH IHZ KRXUV it is used. When you consider this on a JOREDO VFDOH WKH PDJQLWXGH RI WKH LVVXH becomes clear. A V DZDUHQHVV JURZV LQ 0DOD\VLD WKH GHPDQG IRU VXVWDLQDEOH RSWLRQV LV LQFUHDV LQJ (FR IULHQGO\ VDQLWDU\ SDGV DUH JDLQLQJ SRSXODULW\ FUDIWHG IURP RUJDQLF FRWWRQ ELRGHJUDGDEOH EDPERR ILEUH RU RWKHU plant-based materials. These products SULRULWLVH FRPIRUW ZKLOH DGGUHVVLQJ WKH SUHVVLQJ HQYLURQPHQWDO FULVLV W H UHFRJQLVH WKDW WUDQVLWLRQLQJ WR HFR IULHQGO\ SURGXFWV FDQ EH FKDOOHQJ LQJ 6RPH PD\ KDYH FRQFHUQV DERXW WKH ORQJ WHUP FRVWV DQG WKH UHOLDELOLW\ RI WKHVH EUDQGV +RZHYHU HYHQ D VLQJOH SRVLWLYH FKDQJH FDQ OHDG WR D ULSSOH H̆ HFW LQ UH FODLPLQJ PHQVWUXDO KHDOWK DQG SURPRWLQJ HWKLFDO SXUFKDVLQJ DQG HGXFDWLRQ M DQ\ RI WKHVH VXVWDLQDEOH VDQLWDU\ SDG EUDQGV FROODERUDWH ZLWK 1*2V WR SURYLGH menstrual products to underserved com PXQLWLHV ZKLOH RWKHUV LQYHVW LQ UHVHDUFK to create even more innovative solutions.

Bobble L DXQFKHG LQ %REEOH ZDV IRXQGHG E\ 0DOLVVH 7DQ DIWHU VKH ZDV GLDJQRVHG ZLWK 6WDJH +RGJNLQ¶V /\PSKRPD ZKHQ KHU GDXJKWHU $OH\D ZDV MXVW IRXU ZHHNV ROG $IWHU XQGHU JRLQJ FKHPRWKHUDS\ DQG UHFHLYLQJ the care she needed, Malisse realised VKH KDG WR EH PRUH PLQGIXO RI WKH SURGXFWV VKH XVHG DQG ZKDW WKH\ ZHUH PDGH RI 6KH IXOO\ XQGHUVWRRG WKH LPSRU WDQFH RI FDULQJ IRU WKH YDJLQDO DUHD RQH RI WKH PRVW GHOLFDWH DQG VHQVLWLYH SDUWV RI WKH IHPDOH ERG\ 7KLV OHG KHU WR FUHDWH KHU RZQ VDQLWDU\ SDG brand called Bobble. These pads are PDGH IURP *OREDO 2UJDQLF 7H[WLOH 6WDQGDUG FHUWLILHG RUJDQLF FRWWRQ DQG DUH IUHH IURP FKORULQH SHUIXPHV DQG WR[LF G\HV

Purposeful periods only Malaysia’s sustainable sanitary pads movement for a better future

BY AQILAH NAJWA JAMALUDDIN

Athena Empowers A WKHQD (PSRZHUV LV D 0DOD\VLDQ VRFLDO HQWHUSULVH IRXQGHG E\ $QMD -XOLDK $EX %DNDU DLPLQJ WR WDFNOH SHULRG SRYHUW\ and promote menstrual health education. 7KHLU UHXVDEOH SDGV DUH PDGH IURP D FRPELQDWLRQ RI EDPERR ¿EUH DQG KLJK TXDOLW\ DEVRUEHQW FRWWRQ R̆ HULQJ D VRIW breathable and antibacterial alternative to disposables. Athena’s products, such as the Dahlia 5HJXODU 3DG DQG 5RVH ([WUD /RQJ 3DG DUH GHVLJQHG IRU GXUDELOLW\ DQG FRPIRUW %H\RQG SURGXFWV $WKHQD FRQGXFWV ZRUN VKRSV LQ UXUDO FRPPXQLWLHV HPSRZHULQJ ZRPHQ DQG JLUOV ZLWK NQRZOHGJH DQG sustainable menstrual solutions.

Enya F RXQGHG LQ E\ (ODLQH +RQJ (Q\D PDGH ZDYHV DV RQH RI 0DOD\VLD¶V ILUVW RUJDQLF SDG VXEVFULSWLRQ VHUYLFHV 7KHLU SDGV DUH PDGH ZLWK *276 FHUWL¿HG RU JDQLF FRWWRQ IUHH IURP FKORULQH IUDJUDQFH and dyes. (Q\D¶V IHPLQLQH SDVWHO OLNH SDFNDJLQJ DQG GRRUVWHS GHOLYHU\ PRGHO PDNH LW HDVLHU WKDQ HYHU WR VZLWFK WR D FOHDQHU JUHHQHU SHULRG 7KH\ KDYH (Q\D 2YHUQLJKW 3DQWLHV D FRPELQDWLRQ RI DQ RYHUQLJKW SDG DQG XQGHUZHDU WKDW HQVXUHV WRWDO ƒ SURWHFWLRQ ORFNLQJ LQ OHDNV IRU PD[LPXP DEVRUSWLRQ DQG FRPIRUW WKURXJK WKH QLJKW

Blood B ORRG LV D UHODWLYHO\ QHZ QDPH LQ WKH 0DOD\VLDQ PDUNHW EXW RQH WKDW LV DOUHDG\ JDLQLQJ D OR\DO IROORZLQJ Their ultra-thin sanitary pads are PDGH ZLWK D ELRGHJUDGDEOH FRUQ ILEUH WRSVKHHW SURYLGLQJ D K\SRDOOHUJHQLF DQG EUHDWKDEOH DOWHU native to synthetic brands. D HVLJQHG WR IHHO EDUHO\ WKHUH %ORRG SDGV DUH IUHH RI KDUVK FKHPL FDOV DQG LGHDO IRU VHQVLWLYH VNLQ 7KH brand also champions menstrual KHDOWK DZDUHQHVV XVLQJ PLQLPDOLVW DHVWKHWLFV WR VSDUN KRQHVW VWLJPD IUHH FRQYHUVDWLRQV

The Hive A SLRQHHU LQ 0DOD\VLD¶V ]HUR ZDVWH PRYHPHQW 7KH +LYH EHJDQ DV D SK\VLFDO DQG RQOLQH VWRUH R̆ HULQJ HFR FRQVFLRXV DOWHUQDWLYHV WR GDLO\ HVVHQWLDOV 'HVLJQHG IRU ORQJ WHUP XVH 7KH +LYH¶V UHXVDEOH SDGV FDQ ODVW XS WR WHQ \HDUV UHGXFLQJ ERWK ZDVWH DQG FRVW -XVW ULQVH ZDVK DQG DLU dry. With no plastic or harsh dyes, they’re NLQGHU WR \RXU ERG\ DQG WKH SODQHW Beyond period care, The Hive also IRFXVHV RQ HGXFDWLRQ KRVWLQJ ZRUNVKRSV DQG FRPPXQLW\ HYHQWV DURXQG ORZ ZDVWH OLYLQJ