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Journalism of Courage
While on a trip and studying mechanical engineering at SGGS College, Nanded, Ajinkya Dhariya spotted sanitary pads stuck in a tree, encountered waste-pickers separating diapers and other sanitary waste like used pads by hand, which triggered the idea for his company — PadCare Labs. Dhariya founded the Pune-based startup in 2018. It had set a monthly target to prevent about 4,800 sanitary pads from reaching landfills and being disposed of in other unscientific methods.
Dhariya is one of the recipients of the “Loksatta Tarun Tejankit Awards 2021” which was awarded to young achievers from different sectors of Maharashtra.
Incubated at the Venture Centre in Pune, the three-year-old startup has developed a smokeless and odourless sanitary waste management system. From waste collection at the source to environment-friendly disposal, the company has set up a chain of processes wherein harmful waste can be disposed of most effectively.
The waste collector ‘Sanibin’ developed by PadLabs can store up to 30 pads for a month without emitting any foul odour or creating any bacterial reactions. This bin may also be emptied periodically. The collected waste is sent for processing to ‘Saneco’, a processor with the capacity to churn 1,500 pads and produce recyclable-quality material.
Dhariya’s technology has drawn applause from industry stalwarts like Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra who tweeted “their work is as important as designing satellites”.
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