Summary

Fluus is attempting to reduce and hopefully eliminate sanitary pads ending up in landfills. Most current products are made of and wrapped in plastic, do not biodegrade or compost, and end up landfills. Fluus estimates that a single menstrautor will use up to 15,000 pads and tampons in a lifetime. In contrast, the company’s sanitary pads are certified flushable, microplastics-free, and glue-free, made of non-woven natural materials. Fluus pads are made with Flushtec, a patent-pending microplastic free biodegradable technology. Crucially, the pads are designed to break down through flushing; the hydraulic motion of the water in a toilet breaks down the fabric in the pad. By six hours, over 80% of the pad will have dissolved or broken down into plant fibres the size of an eyelash. By the time the pad reaches the water treatment center, it can safely pass through the screens where it is then treated and regenerated into biogas and fertiliser.

Story

Co-founders Olivia Ahn and Aaron Koshy met in college at the Imperial College of London, and soon after started developing a prototype of the flushable pad after bonding on their shared frustration over this problem. Over the next five years, they tested many prototypes and finally launched their product in 2023. In 2019, they were certified flushable by the Water Research Centre in England.

Pic Credit: Fluus (right and top)