Specially Designed Single-use Bags For The Disposal Of Feminine Care Products Are The Solution

July 2, 2009 - PRLog -- Rochester, NY— Installation of SCENSIBLES®—personal-size plastic bags for the hygienic disposal of feminine care products including sanitary pads, tampons and panty liners—is making a critical difference in the number of plumbing maintenance issues and costly repairs in women’s restrooms across the country, while providing a practical and hygienic solution to a significant health concern.

Leading adopters of this sensible solution that will enhance their facilities while saving costs include the Washington State Ferry System, a recognized industry leading 71-store regional supermarket chain, San Diego Zoo,  Servicemaster Northwest, Strong National Museum of Play, the Association for the United States Army in Washington, DC, and prominent property management companies all over the United States.

SCENSIBLES plastic bags with easy-tie handle closure are proving to be a cost-effective alternative to the significant maintenance problems caused by patrons flushing their feminine hygiene products down toilets. At the same time, SCENSIBLES are improving the unsightly, germ-contaminated condition of restroom sanitary napkin disposal units.  The resulting clean and convenient disposal method is being installed in buildings across the country, including office, educational, retail, recreational, lodging, government, manufacturing, entertainment, and medical facilities.

SCENSIBLES, created by The Scensible Source Company, LLC, are pink plastic bags imprinted with a contemporary floral pattern. The single-use, biodegradable bags are made of 1 mil thick, high-density poly embedded with a fresh fragrance and antimicrobial agents that inhibit the growth of odor-causing bacteria. The bags are dispensed in attractive, easily refillable, durable plastic white or satin chrome dispensers, or a combination dispenser/receptacle unit. These units can be mounted to the wall or partition in any size restroom. The bags are made to hold standard size feminine hygiene products.

“We’re providing an innovative yet simple solution to a problem no one talks about,” said Ann Germanow, president of The Scensible Source Company, LLC, and inventor of SCENSIBLES bags.  “More and more facilities post ‘do not flush’ notices in their restrooms, yet they offer no acceptable alternative for the disposal of feminine care products. There is nothing more offensive than having to discard products in a visibly dirty sanitary napkin receptacle, overflowing with smelly, unsightly items. The result is that women ignore the signage and flush anyway! This leads to unscheduled maintenance calls, time-consuming cleanups, and expensive plumbing repairs.  SCENSIBLES address this problem directly, by providing an easy, clean, safe solution that restroom users can and do embrace.”

Scensibles solves plumbing issues in major office building

When the property manager for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) in Washington, DC, discovered Scensibles products last year at the National Building Owners and Managers Association Trade Show, he leaped to order the solution for every women’s restroom in his Arlington, VA, building.
"Plumbing problems, sanitary and cleaning issues, and cleaner rest rooms—it's amazing to find a product that solves all three," said D. Mark Campbell, Director of Administrative Services/Property Manager for AUSA. “The day we had Scensibles installed, I immediately began getting e-mails from women in the building, thanking us for this great solution.”
Campbell knew that the disposal of sanitary products by flushing them had caused significant plumbing issues throughout the building, resulting in thousands of dollars in maintenance bills every year.  "As a property manager, I see feminine hygiene products as a problem with plumbing and clogs,” he said. “Since we installed Scensibles, we have not had a single maintenance issue related to feminine hygiene products.  This has saved us a great deal of money!"

Germs and blood-borne pathogens: The hidden danger

For Ellen White, terminal seller at the Kingston Dock of the Washington State Ferry system, removing the sanitary napkin receptacles and installing SCENSIBLES bags have made the critical difference for terminal attendants who have to clean the cramped restrooms on the passenger ferry boats.

"I like the fact that women can use these bags, dump hygiene items in there, and then toss them in the regular trash," White said.  "It's much better than cleaning staff having to stick their hands in the containers and pull used products out.  Not everyone wraps up their [waste], so blood-borne pathogens are a problem.   Also, [some passengers] would drop needles in the sanitary napkin receptacles, even though we provide a needle container."

“Customers come to us with all kinds of concerns about sanitation and safety, and SCENSIBLES address these problems,” said Germanow. The danger presented by used sanitary products in restroom receptacles is very real, she noted. "The fact is that the insides and outsides of stall sanitary napkin disposal receptacles are the most contaminated spots in women's restrooms,” she said. “And when people touch the soiled lids to open them, it can prove harmful."

Restroom users and custodial workers are exposed daily to potentially harmful germs and blood borne pathogens with only minimal precautions available to protect them.  The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that touching a germ-laden object is the number one source for spreading disease. Recent CDC studies suggest that the Hepatitis virus may survive outside the body for several days, even in dried blood, and still be infectious.
Germanow noted, “Standard precautions for people infected with hepatitis, for example, recommend that bloodstained material such as tissues, tampons and menstrual pads be placed into sealable plastic bags and disposed of properly, so no one comes in contact with blood,” she explained.  “But in women’s restrooms, bloodstained materials are tossed into a receptacle with no such precautions. There’s no way to know if any contact could be dangerous. “It’s not acceptable in this day and age, with resistant bacteria and new infectious diseases, that this problem be ignored anymore.”  

The liner bags

The Scensible Source Company has also designed plastic liner bags for various models of sanitary napkin receptacles. The liner bags are embedded with the same fragrance, biodegradable additive and antimicrobial agents as the individual SCENSIBLES bags.

“Traditional waxed bags are not effective,” Germanow said.  “Our bags are specially designed to provide a better fit and properly line sanitary napkin disposal units.  Waxed bags do nothing for odors – and they do not keep the container germ-free. Quick and easy removal allows cleaning personnel to avoid reaching into the receptacle and eliminates contact with discarded products.”

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Founded in 2005 in US the Company is committed to providing innovative and hygienic solutions for the disposal of feminine care products. The patented SCENSIBLES- single use disposal bags and special liners for stall disposal units in public restrooms.