THINKAL project distributes 7.5 lakh menstrual cups nationwide, cutting waste and carbon emissions

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (PTI) THINKAL, an innovative project by the public sector enterprise HLL Lifecare Ltd, has distributed over 7.5 lakh menstrual cups across India, becoming a catalyst for health, environmental, and social transformation.

As of October 31, 2024, more than 7.5 lakh women have benefited from the THINKAL project, implemented by HLL under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, according to an official statement.

The initiative aims to raise awareness and provide access to menstrual cups—a safe, healthy, and affordable menstrual hygiene solution.

Currently, the project is active in seven states, including Kerala, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.

The initiative is executed, in collaboration with, various state governments, central public sector undertakings, NGOs, and private institutions and is implemented by HLL Management Academy, the social education and development division of the public sector enterprise.

The THINKAL project was initially conceived in response to sanitary napkin disposal challenges faced during the 2018 Kerala floods.

In Kerala, the project is implemented in collaboration with local self-government bodies, NGOs, and self-help groups, reaching women from urban, rural, and semi-urban communities.

Through this initiative, two villages in Kerala—Kumbalangi Panchayat in Ernakulam and Kallikkad Panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram—have been declared napkin-free panchayats.

According to estimates, an average woman uses approximately 15,000 sanitary napkins over her lifetime, costing around Rs 600 annually.

By distributing 7.5 lakh menstrual cups, HLL’s initiative has helped reduce an estimated 10,000 tons of napkin waste and 13,250 tons of carbon emissions, the statement added. PTI LGK ROH