MPU3412 Social Business 1
[Link] NGAH
GROUP 15
No. Name STUDENT ID
1 Maryam Hussaina AIU24102192
2 Lay Pyay Hnin AIU24102191
3 Soe Sandi Aung AIU24102188
4 Khalil Ur Rehman Saeed AIU24102091
5 Hussein Oloyede AIU24102371
1.0 PROJECT BACKGROUND
Project Name:–
BioHerPad
Complete Menstrual Health & Waste Solution
Project Description:
BioHerPad is a social business that aims to offer a solution to one of the most
forgotten but most compelling public health and environmental problems: menstrual
hygiene management. Our project offers an Access-Health-Disposal-Education
closed-loop interrelated system with four interrelated pillars as an attempt to make
menstruation not an interruption to education, dignity, or environmental integrity.
BioHerPad is a business that produces herb-infused biodegradable sanitary pads
made from local green raw material such as banana fiber and textile mill waste. It
also has water-disposable bags rather than lethal plastic wraps. It retails its products
with sun-powered vending kiosks at schools, public toilets, and off-grid health clinics
for ease of access.
To generate a social business model, BioHerPad empowers women by giving them
access to community production units, offering them work, and an equal wage. The
project also has a mechanism for waste collection and recycling spent-up pads,
converting them into compost and organic manure in a bid to generate a loop
mechanism.
Targeted Issue and Problems:
The project targets some issues which are interlinked
Educational Impact: As many as 20% of low-income urban girls miss a month of
school because of their periods.
Public Health: Menstrual unhygiene leads to infection and reproductive morbidity.
Environmental Crisis: Sanitary pads are as much as 90% plastic and won't
biodegrade in 500+ years.
Social Stigma: Menstrual taboos generates cultural silence and excludes women.
BioHerPad constructs an open, scalable, and sustainable system by the community
because it addresses a public health and waste issue worldwide.
2.0 SOCIAL ISSUES
2.1 Issues in Society:
Menstrual care is a public health and human rights matter. Inaffordability of
sanitary and hygienic menstrual product has several issues:
Interference with education
It is said that as many as 20% of adolescent girls in the developing world miss
school during menstruation because sanitary towels, toilets, or even privacy
are not available. This absence contributes to low attainment in educational
achievement, school dropout, and learning gender gap reinforced.
Public Health Risk
The majority of the women employ dirty materials such as ash, newspaper,
and dirty and old clothes. The consequence of this is that they possess a high
rate of reproductive tract infection (RTI) and urinary tract infection and other
diseases, which if not treated would lead to infertility.
Plastic Waste and Carbon Footprint
The conventional pads are made up of 90% plastic materials (polyethylene
back sheets, superabsorbent polymers) and will not degrade if they are sent
to the landfills for over 500 years. That is the material that clogs drains with
solid waste and methane emission when they break down an instant global
warming agent.
Social Stigma and Gender Inequality
Menstruation is forbidden in most societies and is permeated with shame,
secrecy, and exclusion. Women are kept out of cooking, going to school, or
remaining in the community during menses. Social exclusion legitimacy
gender inequality.
2.2 Importance of Resolving Such Issues:
Menstrual hygiene isn't hygiene itself , it is a path to education, gender
equality, and sustainable development. Girls always carry sanitary products
safe with them, thus they attend school daily, become confident, and break
the cycle of poverty.".
Economically, green pads rather than plastic pads conserve tonnes of plastic
which otherwise would be on land and in the sea. Women and men earn
employment at the local level for women as well as economic empowerment
through a factory to recycle and produce at the local level.
Among these solutions, one of them addresses such challenges directly is
SDG 3 (Good Health), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality),
SDG 8 (Decent Work), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
2.3 Use of the Design Thinking Process in Defining Problems and Solutions:
Used as a redesign of BioHerPad as a sustainable community solution:
Empathize: Had informal interviews with rural health workers, mothers, and
schoolgirls to identify actual issues cost, shame, no disposal.
Define: Built the whole problem statement:
"Adolescent girls and women have no access to sanitary, affordable menstruation
products and a means of safe disposal, resulting in lost education, infection, and
contamination."
Ideate: Conceptualized thoughtful solutions dissolvable bags, biodegradable pads,
vending machines, recycling programs, and education initiatives to an infrastructure
not a product.
Offering: Created a small pilot with trial pads of banana fiber and starch film,
field-tested for comfort and absorbency.
Test: Released prototypes to target group women, collected feedback on comfort,
price, and ease of use, then redesigned.
2.4 Social Mission & Beneficiaries
Social Mission:
"To provide green, affordable, and respectful menstrual solutions that empower girls
and the world."
Principal Beneficiaries:
Poor rural school-going adolescent girls who even now absence themselves from
school because they cannot afford to buy pads as they have no money.
Poor village women who are still not exposed to commercial sanitary products.
Environment by preventing pollution and wastage of plastic.
Local women cooperatives, who get employment opportunity in production and
distribution.
3.0 SOLUTIONS
BioHerPad Project is handling the issue of menstrual health on all aspects
production, distribution, education, and disposal. Rather than offering a single
product, BioHerPad develops an entire eco-system that has a long-term impact on
health, nature, and sociological mindset.
3.1 Solution 1: Biodegradable Herbal Sanitary Pads
Description-Our flagship product is 3-ply natural cotton-free sanitary napkin made of
locally available banana fiber, cotton pulp, and starch-based biodegradable leakproof
coating. Top sheet infused with neem and aloe vera for inbuilt antibacterial activity
and soothing reducing activity.
Implementation Strategy:Women-Led Manufacturing: Establish low-cost manual or
semi-automatic small-scale units operated by trained women's groups.
Local Sourcing: Provide raw material to textile mills and banana planters and provide
them with an additional source of revenue.
Quality Control: Periodic absorbency, safety, and comfort tests before shipping the
product to maintain continuity.
3.2 Solution 2: Eco-Friendly Disposal Pouches
Description:A water-soluble rice paper or starch film pouch for clean disposal at
home is provided with every pad.
Implementation Method:Add a side-unit to produce pouches along with pads.
Host public school and community center presentations of the dissolution of the
pouch in water, de-stigmatizing and promoting safe use.
3.3 Solution 3: Access & Distribution – Vending + Subscription
Description:For 24/7 availability, BioHerPad installs solar-powered vending machines
in schools, colleges, and bus stops, and home delivery subscription packs.
Implementation Method:Installation of Machines: Work with councils and schools to
install the vending machines.
Reasonable Prices: Adopt a cross-subsidy approach wherein urban purchase and
subsidize or sponsor free pads for rural schools.
Subscription Service: Deliver monthly pad, pouch, and health education brochure
packages to households or community centers.
3.4 Solution 4: Waste Collection & Recycling Program
Description:BioHerPad's eco-friendly waste collection and composting program is the
second-best alternative if water-soluble pouches are not a feasible option.
Implementation Method:Place scent-proof buckets in vending machines and schools.
Organize female groups to collect used pads weekly and take them to biogas plants
or composting centers.
Transform waste into community organic manure for the farmers in the community
and initiate a circular economy in the community.
3.5 Solution 5: Community Education & Awareness
Description:Education is the most efficient way of elimination of stigma and space
creation towards the use of improved menstrual practices.
Implementation Method:Workshops: Regular awareness workshops held in schools,
villages, and work areas.
Information Material: Offer instructions for pad usage, disposal, and diet during
menstruation.
Digital Education: Install QR codes on vending machines leading consumers to
educate through videos.
Social Media Campaigns: Encourage discussion about menstruation through
campaigns
Upon successful operation, BioHerPad will expand nationally and reach 10,000+
girls and women within three years and become a sustainable social business. Each
pad sold and each pouch returned will contribute to the project aim: healthy women,
clean communities, and circular economy for all through the impact model.
PHASE 1 – Pilot Implementation (Months 1–6)
Month 1: Units installed, material sourced, training → 1,000 pads manufactured.
Month 2: Testing of school products, feedback received → Pad design complete.
Month 3: Installation of 3 vending machines, awareness campaign initiated → 300+
students using machines.
Month 4: Roll-out of pilot subscription kit, distribution of leaflets → Model proven.
Month 5: Compost & waste bin testing, team training → First batch compost.
Month 6: Release Pilot Impact Report → Phase 2 scale-up approval.
PHASE 2 – Scale-Up & Expansion (Months 7–12)
Month 7: Scale-up production (5,000 pads/month), machine induction → 500+ users
reached.
Month 8: Rural school distribution NGO partner → 2 schools reached.
Month 9: Social media marketing, subscription increase → 5,000+ reached, 100
homes.
Month 10: Compost program in 2nd community, fertilizer supply → Circular economy
in action.
Month 11: Mid-Year Community Workshop → Improved contribution and
participation.
Month 12: Release Annual Impact Dashboard → Outcomes made available to
investors.4.3 Monitoring & Evaluation Plan
4.0 SOCIAL IMPACT
BioHerPad is not just a sanitary pad but, as an innovation ecosystem changing the
menstruation days more easier, manufacturing and accessibility to safe disposal and
social education. The long-term ultimate goal is to empower women and girls,
reduce the danger of health, improve school attendance, create jobs locally, and
remove non-degradable pads destroying the environment. The project directly
addresses some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3, SDG 5, SDG 8,
SDG 12, and SDG 13) and is therefore a high-impact social business model. Each
solution within the BioHerPad project has been designed with the vision of making a
expressible, measurable difference.
Solution 1 (Biodegradable Herbal Pads): has the potential to give the user a safe,
natural alternative to conventional plastic pads without infection and to the user's
comfort. Its feasibility would be seen through monthly production rate, absorbency
and comfort testing, and end-user comment cards.
Solution 2 (Water-Soluble Disposal Pouches): aims to end open dumping and
unhygienic disposal practices by giving the user choices of safe disintegration of
waste pads. It will be monitored under quarterly wastage report, correct usage level
of disposal levels, and litter around dispensing points.
Solution 3 (Availability & Distribution through Vending Machine and Subscription)
:makes pads easily available wherever and whenever they are needed by schoolgirls
and working women with least lost time at school during menstruation. It will be
measured by dispensing frequency using vending machines, subscription rate, and
monitoring stock levels by QR-code to have a stock-out rate of less than 10%.
Solution 4 (Menstrual Waste Recycling Program) :provides feedback through
recycling menstrual waste as compost or biofuel and contributions towards reducing
landfill. Measurement will be obtained through waste harvest volume, amount of
compost harvested, and farmers or community gardens using the compost.
Solution 5 (Community Education & Awareness) will work towards making
menstruation normal, reducing stigma, and increasing knowledge of hygiene
behavior.
METHOD OF ASSESTMENT
Monthly Tracking: Production statistics, vending machine usage, and waste
collection tracked on the BioHerPad Digital Dashboard.
Quarterly Reports: School attendance rate, community contribution, and local clinic
health rate taken into account.
Annual Impact Report: Comprehensive impact report published with number of
recipients, total pads used, waste diverted from landfill, and CO₂ avoided (calculated
on composting level).
Stakeholder Engagement: Results communicated to schools, NGOs, and corporate
sponsors for transparency and continuous improvement.
4.1 Overall Expected Outcome
Health Outcomes: It will improve menstrual hygiene reducing reproductive tract
infection and enhanced general women's and girls' health.
Education Impact: School attendance of adolescent girls reduced (target: at least
20% reduction in 12 months).
Environmental Impact: Reduction of plastic waste through usage of biodegradable
pads (target: prevent minimum of 500 kg plastic waste in year 1).
Economic Impact: Better living for women from the community who participate in this
production activities (target: mobilize a minimum of 10 women in Phase 1, 25+ in
Phase 2).
Social Impact:Society accept menstrual health as a normal process.
5.0 POTENTIAL SOCIAL INNOVATION
BioHerPad is not just a product solution but one of end-to-end social innovation
through integrating technology, community, and sustainability into a scalable
business ecosystem. The project provides several layers of innovation product,
process innovation, digital solutions, and business model all integrated that give a
replicable solution for menauration management.
5.1 Product & Process Innovation
The product biodegradable sanitary pads enriched with herbal extracts is social
innovation. Instead of importing plastic sanitary pads, BioHerPad uses indigenous
banana fiber, waste cotton, and starch bioplastic to create a pad that is affordable,
safe, and composted within six months. The neem and aloe vera extracts also impart
a natural antibacterial quality that reduces infection rates without any synthetic
chemicals.
Also noteworthy is the water-disposable disposal bag that enables women to dispose
of dirty pads in a sanitary way without facing shame or harming the environment.
The product tackles one of the largest loopholes in the disposal of menstrual waste
head-on disposal.
The manufacturing is to be made low-technology and semi-automatic in nature so
that it may be replicated in rural clusters with a low investment in capital. Solar
dryers, stitching machines, and hand press can be operated by trained women
co-operatives, which can be potential sources of micro-entrepreneurship.
5.2 Digital & Technological Innovation
BioHerPad's most compelling aspect is its Digital Impact Dashboard — a computer
program that monitors current pads produced, sold, and recycled. Schools, CSR
corporate sponsors, and NGOs can log in and see statistics like "number of girls
served," "plastic waste avoided," and "compost produced." Transparency builds trust
among stakeholders and offers measurable evidence of impact, easier fundraising
and partnerships.
The vending machines are automated by IoT through QR code scanning to check
stock levels and trigger a restocking notice to the factory plant. This prevents
inefficiency in use and maintains products where they are needed most.
5.3 Business Model Innovation
BioHerPad is a social business, rather than a charity. Revenues come from three
streams:
Direct Sales: Pads purchased through vending machines and subscription packs.
Cross-Subsidy Model: Rural school distribution is cross-subsidized by profitable city
sales at no additional charge.
Waste-to-Value Loop: Farmers or local energy co-ops purchase compost or energy
pellets derived from menstrual waste, producing a second revenue stream.
Economic sustainability occurs in the model through product affordability. Cycle-back
of the profit funds grows the production, educational outreach, and employment to
ensure thereby a self-enforcing impact loop.
5.5 Long-Term Potential
In the long term, BioHerPad business model is readily scalable throughout the nation
and globally with local natural material specification (like African hemp or kenaf,
Asian fiber bamboo). The dashboard can further be scaled up to a comprehensive
end-to-end Menstrual Health Management (MHM) platform with telemedicine
consultations, reproductive health education, and AI-based demand forecasting for
better inventory management.
Through these innovations, BioHerPad is more than just a product but also a
menstrual equity and environmental sustainability platform that can transform the
way communities menstruate ecologically sustainably, with respect, and
empowering.
6.0 CONCLUSION
BioHerPad is a clean, whole solution answer to the most overlooked but most
elemental social and public health problem menstruation hygiene. Production from
start to finish, availability, utilization, and proper hygienic disposal, marketing the
pads is not the aim. It's all about providing affordable and sustainable means to girls
and women, improved health results with less infection, and no girl missing school
due to her menstrual period.
Also powerful is the project's focus on eco sustainability, shifting from plastic-based
pads to biodegradable material and closed-loop waste to compost. The business
offers work at the local level, creates thought-provoking micro enterprises owned by
women, and facilitates free and open conversation of menstruation, deconstructing
inter-generational stigma and taboo.
With its synergistic combination of product innovation, digital traceability technology,
and economically viable business model, BioHerPad will be scalable beyond pilot
scale and contribute substantially to health, education, labor, and climate action. Not
only is this effort toward menstrual equity, but toward a scalable model that can be
replicated across other communities, so as many as possible of dignity, hygiene, and
empowerment benefits can be enjoyed by women and girls.
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