About PadCare Labs
When mechanical engineering student Ajinkya Dhariya saw a pile of used sanitary pads hanging from a tree on a hike, it sparked a mission: to transform how the world handles menstrual waste. That moment led to PadCare Labs, the world’s first company to develop sustainable sanitation technology that replaces incineration with a patented chemo-mechanical process. This system recycles used pads into end-use materials like plastic and cellulose pulp.
Despite growing awareness around sustainability, menstrual hygiene waste remains largely ignored, often discarded improperly in everyday settings, putting waste workers at risk and adding to pollution. PadCare Labs offers a circular, hygienic, and scalable solution.
Its odour- and bacteria-resistant bins, installed in schools, workplaces, housing societies, and public areas, store used napkins safely for up to 30 days. The waste is then transported to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), where it’s processed using a five-step system—disinfection, deodorisation, decolourisation, deactivation, and drying—to ensure complete sanitisation and conversion into pulp and plastic for use in stationery, packaging, and paper. To promote transparency and accountability, PadCare also offers a digital dashboard, allowing users to track the carbon footprint and environmental impact.
By cutting out incineration and manual handling, PadCare reduces landfill waste, lowers carcinogenic emissions, and creates safer working conditions for waste pickers. Through partnerships with corporates, schools, and nonprofits, it is redefining menstrual hygiene waste infrastructure across India.
PadCare Labs at MIF's Scale-Up
PadCare was inducted into MIF’s no-equity accelerator in March 2025 for its breakthrough approach to sustainable sanitation technology and waste upcycling that tackles a major environmental and public health challenge.
The initial stages of identifying support areas are underway. With bespoke support from MIF’s no-equity accelerator, PadCare is committed to scale its impact in the circular economy.
