Saathi which literally translates to ‘friend’ is the second inspirational brand from my Top 5 list that I would love for you to read about.
Saathi began in 2015, when its co-founders Kristin Kagetsu, Tarun Bothra, and Grace Kane - graduates of MIT (US), Nirma University and MIT (US) respectively - came together on a mission to create fully eco-friendly, compostable sanitary napkins using locally sourced banana fiber from the state of Gujarat, where Saathi is based.
Saathi pads are Biodegradable & Compostable, using plant-based materials for the leak-proof outer layers of the napkin. Many consumers have issues with irritation or rashes from the plastics/chemicals in standard pads.
The average conventional sanitary pad contains 3.4g of plastic. This means that over her lifetime, the average woman will generate 60kg of plastic from sanitary pads alone. In 2016, there were 150,000 tons of sanitary pad waste in India.
When disposed of, Saathi pads degrade within six months - 1200 times faster than plastic pads! Since Saathi pads don’t contain chemicals, they provide a rash and irritation-free experience.
Saathi pads are made with banana fibre because of its highly absorbent properties, and the environmental and social benefits of its supply chain. Banana fibre comes from the stem of the banana tree, which after harvesting is normally discarded.
Saathi instead buys the stems from collectives of local farmers. After we extract the fibre, the residue leftover can be fermented and used by farmers as an organic fertilizer. Most plastic sanitary pads use chlorine-bleached wood pulp as an absorbent, while most other eco-friendly pads use cotton.
Banana fibre uses six times less water per ton produced than cotton, and 10 times fewer fertilizers. Most importantly, since bananas are an existing food crop, no extra land is being taken up by the production of this fibre. There are already 9 million hectares dedicated to banana farming worldwide. By trailblazing the use of banana fibre as a consumer product raw material, Saathi hopes to champion its expanded use.
Apart from being the first in India to do so, Saathi has been included in Time Magazine’s 100 Best Innovations List and has been listed as the 3rd Most Innovative Company in India.
India is indeed on a roll!
Which company would you like to hear about? Let me know in the comments below!