Women’s Restrooms Reduce Costly Toilet Clogs & Cross Contamination With Scensibles Disposable Bags

Nov. 18, 2009 - PRLog -- The disposal of feminine care products in women’s restrooms is the problem no one really wants to talk about. That is until now. Now facility managers, housekeeping staff, building owners, janitorial supply distributors, manufacturers, plumbing contractors and women across the USA are becoming aware of the problem and taking action.

The answer to toilet clogs and costly plumbing repairs, while providing a practical and hygienic solution to a significant health concern is the installation of SCENSIBLES®—a personal sanitary disposal bag system for feminine care products including sanitary pads, tampons and panty liners.  The SCENSIBLES System is making a critical difference in women’s restrooms across the country.

SCENSIBLES created by The Scensible Source Company, LLC are single-use pink biodegradable plastic disposal bags with a pleasant fresh scent, contemporary design, tie handle closure and built in antimicrobial agents to inhibit the growth of odor causing bacteria. The sanitary bags are dispensed from attractive easily refillable units that mount to the partition in any size restroom.

SCENSIBLES disposable bags are proving to be a cost-effective alternative to the significant maintenance problems caused by patrons flushing feminine hygiene products especially tampons down toilets. By enclosing soiled items, SCENSIBLES are improving the unsightly, germ-contaminated condition of restroom sanitary napkin receptacles.  The resulting clean and convenient disposal system is installed in facilities across the country, such as a leading 75-store regional supermarket chain, the largest ferry system in the USA, a world-renowned zoo, as well as office, educational, retail, recreational, cultural, lodging, government, manufacturing, entertainment, and medical buildings.

“This is a significant problem that no one really wants to talk about.  But after a lot of hard work and determination people are becoming aware of our innovative yet simple solution, and the response has been awesome!” said Ann Germanow, CEO of The Scensible Source Company, LLC, and inventor of the patented disposable 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. Plus these receptacles pose a health risk with exposure to possible blood borne pathogens and harmful bacterial contamination.  The result is that women ignore the signage and flush anyway! This leads to unscheduled maintenance calls, time-consuming cleanups, and expensive plumbing repairs.”

“I recently read on-line about a janitorial service struggling with toilet clogs caused by tampons,” continued Germanow “they couldn’t understand that even with four signs in the ladies bathroom-on the door, near the mirror, on the tampon machine and on the bathroom door, why women kept on flushing. SCENSIBLES tampon disposal bags address this problem directly, by providing an easy, clean, discreet solution that women can and do embrace.”
For D. Mark Campbell, Director of Administrative Services/Property Manager for Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Washington, DC installing the SCENSIBLES System was exactly the solution he was looking for.   "Plumbing problems, sanitary and cleaning issues, and cleaner rest rooms—it's amazing to find a product that solves all three," said Campbell.  "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!"
For Ellen White, terminal seller at the Kingston Dock of the Washington State Ferry system installing SCENSIBLES bags has made the critical difference for terminal attendants. "I like the fact that women can use these sanitary napkin bags 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."

“Customers come to us with all kinds of concerns about sanitation and safety for feminine hygiene disposal 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 research has shown that the insides and outsides of stall sanitary napkin disposal receptacles are one of the most contaminated spots in women's restrooms,” she said. “And when people touch them, it can prove harmful."

Restroom users and custodial workers are exposed daily to potentially dangerous germs and blood borne pathogens with only minimal precautions available to protect them.  Both hepatitis B and C are extremely hardy; and may survive outside the body for several days, even on a dry surface, and still be infectious.

“Even OSHA does not significantly address this issue, although it clearly is a blood and body fluid of concern and a common blood-contact opportunity,” said Lynn Kraft, a building services contractor and ICAN/ATEX associate. “Used feminine hygiene products present a health concern for the custodians and others who have contact with the receptacle before it is disinfected, assuming that it ever is. This is an area demanding more attention and some advances in disposal technology.”
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 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 sanitary disposal bags.

“Since traditional brown waxed paper bags do not hold their form to line the receptacle, soiled product piles up outside of the bag and does not remain contained to prevent direct contact for restroom patrons and during removal by custodial staff,” Germanow said.  “Our bags are specially designed to provide a better fit and properly line sanitary napkin disposal units to conceal the contents.  Quick and easy removal allows cleaning personnel to avoid reaching into the receptacle and eliminates contact with discarded products.”

Perry Shimanoff, a cleaning consultant who has worked with public sector organizations for the past 31 years believes that safe, green alternatives to traditional disposal methods need to be adopted. “The Scensible Source solution is a cost efficient, safe, green alternative to traditional disposal methods. Not only does this healthy approach reduce the labor of custodians, but customers appreciate the ease and eco-design of the system. Although no one likes to discuss disposal of feminine products, with new replacement systems – everyone benefits:  customers, custodians, and the environment,” says Shimanoff.

For more information visit www.scensiblesource.com and to see the full catalog of Scensibles products, call 866 231-7050 or write to censiblesource@gmail.com
Scensibles is a registered trademark of The Scensible Source Company, LLC.  A portion of the proceeds from company sales is donated to provide feminine hygiene products to teenage girls in need.

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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.