New Delhi, Dec. 18 -- India, the country with the most number of women in the world, is making a sure, even if slow, shift towards menstrual cups (m-cups), makers of such cups and a recent study has shown.

Primarily driven by cost savings in hygiene and ease of use, the increasing adoption of m-cups has an unintended outcome: a small dent in the staggering quantum of waste that India generates every year.

Some 12.3 billion disposable menstrual pads are used in India annually, according to NGO Menstrual Health Action for Impact, the majority of which are non-biodegradable. With such waste burden projected to reach 130,000 tonnes by 2030, policymakers have been pivoting to sustainable interventions.

A recent study by a government of Indi...