Nappies and/or sanitary pads, officially known as Absorbent Hygiene Product (AHP) waste, are fast becoming one of the most serious social and environmental health issues because of poor waste management in South Africa¹.

The problem is rooted in an ever-increasing population and a failing municipal service crippled by a lack of capacity and resources to effectively reach rural, informal and backyard dwellings, typically home to the most vulnerable in South Africa. Quantifying AHP waste within these dwellings is complex due to limited availability of data. Essentially, the quantity and related volume and weight of AHP waste makes it difficult for municipalities to collect and discard at landfills.

However, based on estimates, we can approximate that about 5.8 billion nappies² and 540 million³ sanitary products are being generated within rural and informal dwellings. If one considers that 37% of households in South Africa⁴ do not receive regular waste service, the enormity of the problem becomes alarming.

This approximate quantification is based on unverified statistics but does reveal the need to 1. provide evidence to quantify the scope of AHP waste in informal and rural dwellings in SA; 2. quantify AHP user demographics of AHP’s, and 3. Determine impact AHP’s waste discarded outside the municipal system has on the people and their environment.

Towards this, the Endangered Wildlife Trust together with Conservation South Africa, Kruger to Canyons, the University of Pretoria and the University of the Western Cape established the One Health AHP Waste Forum (OH-AWF) in 2020. To date, the forum has over 40 members which are comprised of numerous academic, public, private, and civil institutions and organisations who have banded together to develop a strategic approach to address AHP waste. This forum’s approach centres on sound knowledge for effective decision making and therefore, between 2020 – 2023, we have conducted and coordinated numerous research studies to build our understanding around the AHP system dynamics within informal and rural communities. Outcomes of these studies reveal key insights paving a pathway towards sustainable AHP waste management.

This pathway for change was mapped by OH-AHF members during a mini conference funded by the National Research Foundation and held in association with the Conservation Symposium 2023 between the 6 – 8 November 2023 at the Wild Coast Sun, Port Edward, Eastern Cape. Priority action was determined, focusing on communities in rural, informal and backyard dwellings in which we will seek to:

1. Improve the current municipal AHP waste management system.
2. Work with key stakeholders to explore the circular economy in disposable AHP’s.
3. Explore opportunities to mainstream reusable products.
4. Initiate educational programmes to promote safe and responsible AHP waste disposal practices.
5. Contribute to informing principals on appropriate technological AHP waste management solutions.