By Almira Louise S. Martinez, Reporter
A PAMPANGA-BASED startup is turning to excess textiles to address one of the country’s most persistent waste problems: disposable menstrual pads.
Ecopad Gaia produces reusable sanitary pads made from deadstock fabrics sourced in Taytay, Rizal, aiming to curb plastic waste and offer an alternative for women with sensitive skin.
“A woman, from the beginning of her period until the end of her period, when she’s about to menopause, uses around 11,000 to 12,000 pads,” founder Adeline P. Bondoc said in an interview. “Imagine, each woman uses 11,000 to 12,000 pads that take 500 to 800 years to decompose in landfills, in our waterways.”
Most commercial pads are composed largely of plastic, which Ms. Bondoc said could break down into microplastics that contaminate the environment.
“When it becomes microplastic, it could be in our airways, we could drink it, we could swallow it, and we could eat it,” she said. “It’s a problem that can be passed on to the next generation if we don’t do something today.”
In 2025, Greenpeace Philippines said Filipino scientists had confirmed the presence of microplastics in water, air and soil across the country, warning that contamination threatens food security.
The World Bank estimated in 2021 that the Philippines generates about 2.7 million tons of plastic waste each year, with roughly 20% ending up in the ocean.
Founded in 2021, Ecopad Gaia was born out of Ms. Bondoc’s personal experience with rashes from disposable pads. She said many women, including those with polycystic ovary syndrome, suffer irritation but do not speak up.
The company offers five types of cloth pads: a seven-inch pantyliner for daily use, a nine-inch pantyliner for spotting and menstrual cup users, a 10-inch pad for light flow, and 11-inch and 12-inch pads for heavier flow.
Pantyliners and light-flow pads are made from woven cotton lined with water-resistant fabric. Heavy-flow variants use cotton velour with Wind Pro fabric, commonly used in winter jackets overseas.
Users are advised to change pads every three to four hours. “If it’s full, it will come out on the sides, so before it’s full, change to avoid bacterial growth,” Ms. Bondoc said.
Each pad can last up to three years with proper care. After use, it can be soaked to remove stains and washed with regular laundry.
Since launch, the company has sold about 40,000 pads through partnerships with nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and e-commerce platforms.
This year, it aims to produce 36,000 pads through NGO and corporate social responsibility partnerships in Pampanga, as it shifts focus from retail to institutional buyers.
