Why ocean health starts on land and how plastic-free period care can help reduce waste at the source.
The Announcement
We are proud to share that Saathi has been recognized as 1 of 1000 by 1000 Ocean Startups, a global initiative celebrating ocean-positive ventures working toward ocean regeneration, sustainability, and a healthier blue economy.
1000 Ocean Startups is a global coalition for ocean innovation, hosted under the World Economic Forum’s Ocean Action Agenda. This recognition places Saathi within a global community working to scale ocean-positive ventures and support a healthier ocean by 2030.
This recognition is not just a milestone for Saathi. It is also a reminder that every person choosing better materials in their daily routine is part of a larger shift. Menstrual health, sustainability, and ocean health are deeply connected, and this recognition belongs to our community that has helped make plastic-free period care part of that conversation.
Why Menstrual Health and Ocean Health Are Connected
For too long, the crisis of marine plastic pollution has been associated primarily with straws, single-use bags, and abandoned fishing nets. However, an often-overlooked contributor to long-term plastic waste sits hidden within daily consumer goods: traditional period care.
Conventional sanitary pads are composed of up to 90% petroleum-derived plastics. In India alone, over 137,483 tonnes of plastic sanitary waste are generated annually. Because these materials take hundreds of years to degrade, they navigate municipal waste gaps, drainage networks, and river basins, ultimately fragmenting into microplastics that affect sensitive aquatic and marine ecosystems.
The Saathi Strategy: Helping Turn Off the Plastic Tap
This recognition reflects the importance of upstream material innovation in reducing long-term plastic waste. We believe that true protection for our blue planet cannot rely solely on downstream mitigation or "mopping the floor while the tap is still running." Instead, we must fix the products at the source.
By upcycling agricultural byproducts into high-performance, completely biodegradable, and plastic-free sanitary pads, Saathi eliminates plastic at the source. Saathi pads are designed to compost in around 6 months, helping reduce the long-term plastic burden created by conventional period products.
Aligning with Global 2030 Targets
As the global community marks World Environment Day and World Ocean Day, the need for scalable, land-based solutions to reduce plastic waste is clearer than ever.
"We are incredibly honored to be counted among this pioneering group of ocean-positive ventures," says Kristin Kagetsu, CEO & Co-Founder of Saathi. "Ocean protection from waste is not only a coastline issue; it starts at the source of that waste. True circular economy thinking means looking at what we manufacture on land and how it affects the systems around us. This recognition by 1000 Ocean Startups reinforces our commitment to scaling solutions that connect menstrual health, environmental responsibility, and material innovation."
Tarun Bothra, Co-Founder & CTO of Saathi, emphasizes the material-science necessity behind this shift: "At Saathi, we upcycle agricultural by-products into high-performance, natural materials for plastic-free period care, showing that manufacturing can reduce pressure on ecosystems while creating value from what is often treated as waste. Being recognized as 1 of 1000 by 1000 Ocean Startups supports our belief that systems thinking on land can play a role in preventing waste from entering marine environments."
Saathi also extends its gratitude to Katapult Ocean and Ocean Impact Organisation, listed as our 1000OS Member Supporters, for their role in supporting our journey within the global ocean innovation ecosystem.
For partnerships, B2B orders, CSR collaborations, or institutional distribution, contact Saathi’s team.
To learn more about the 1 of 1000 initiative and the ventures contributing to ocean innovation, visit 1000oceanstartups.org/startups.