IIMB receives Changemakers Award for campus-wide sustainable sanitary waste management

IIMB has been conferred the Changemakers Award by PadCare, an award-winning startup incubated at NSRCEL, the Institute’s entrepreneurship hub. The award was presented at the International Conference on Sustainability in recognition of IIMB’s pioneering efforts in implementing a scientific and inclusive model for sanitary waste disposal across the campus.

The award was received on behalf of IIMB by Ms. Komala Devi, Administrative Officer, Student Affairs and Hostel, in acknowledgment of her role in executing the initiative, under the leadership of Dr. Haritha Saranga, Chairperson, IIMB Sustainability Taskforce.

In order to implement a campus-wide solution for the disposal of sanitary waste, 70 PadCare bins were installed across hostels and academic blocks over the past year, ensuring that menstruators were able to manage sanitary waste with safety and dignity.

Advancing the Institute’s sustainability agenda within the higher education sector, the impact of the initiative has been both measurable and meaningful. More than 14,700 sanitary pads, amounting to over 590 kilograms of waste, have been scientifically recycled, preventing approximately 1,260 kilograms of carbon emissions. PadCare’s closed-loop model facilitated the sterilization and recycling of used sanitary products into reusable materials, significantly reducing the environmental burden posed by landfill disposal and incineration.