August 2024 - Sustainable Femtech Network Newsletter
Knix for Olympic Athletes | Reusable Revolution | RNA Synthesis innovation
Newsletter – August 2024
Welcome to the Sustainable Femtech Network Newsletter, August 2024 edition!
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News
🚴🏼 Reusable period underwear brand Knix have offered to pay athletes to talk about menstruation during Paris 2024 Olympics, to raise awareness and combat stigma in sport.
🫗Researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a biomaterial that coagulates menstrual blood to prevent leaks and infections. For more on this theme, CEO of Papaya, Shagun Maheshwari discusses the importance of coagulation for products made with natural fibres instead of plastics.
🧬 Harvard have published details of an innovative method for synthesising sing-stranded RNA using water and enzymes. Why is this important? Several femtech companies are already exploring the potential of RNA therapeutics to treat women's health conditions. If commercialised, this method could provide a cleaner, greener process, reducing environmental impact, toxic byproducts and the use of harmful solvents.
🏆 An innovative device for cleaning and steam sterilising reusable menstrual cups has won first prize at this year's Design Innovation in Plastics awards. The self-powered device to allows users to sterilise their cups using minimal water, providing a potential solution for environments where women have limited access to power or water.
⚕️BUPA have announced a new eco-Disruptive programme to fund start-ups from Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. It aims to develop innovative solutions that enhance health and sustainability, and improve quality access to healthcare.
💛 Great to see yet more sustainable menstrual brands going mainstream with Here We Flo, &SISTERS and Mooncup now all available in Sainsburys stores UK-wide.
♻️ Does your Femtech device use a plug, cable or battery? Materials Focus are looking for brands and retailers to participate in their new recycling campaign for International E-Waste Day in October.
Climate x Health Research
😶🌫️ Extensive research in Australia has found that even low levels of air pollution damages human eggs, with air pollution being linked to a 38% decrease in IVF birth rates.
⚥ Effects of environmental changes must be studied with sex and gender disaggregated data
🌏 Navigating New Horizons: A global foresight report on planetary health and human wellbeing by the United Nations Environment Programme International Science Council
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Future Focus
Menstrual poducts - are we ready for a reusable revolution?
It’s been hard to get away from the news over the last few weeks that tampons contain heavy metals.
At Sustainable Femtech Network, we've been discussing what this means for menstrual brands, our health and the environment - while recognising the importance for people who menstruate to have access to a choice of menstrual products that suit them, their needs, and that are safe and sustainable.
However, coverage of this story has generated some positive knock-on effects:
📈 Brands producing reusable menstrual cups and dics have seen a surge in sales. For Saalt, menstrual cups sales tripled after the study was published, while The Flex Co. have increased production by a whopping 1 million devices per week to keep up with demand from Target, Walmart and CVS customers.
💙 Reporting on the study has also emphasised the importance for brands to build and maintain consumer trust and transparency with customers. We were impressed with Yoni’s response to the news.
💵 Media coverage has highlighted the cost savings that women can make by switching to reuseable menstrual products.
🧐 Meanwhile, companies such as Procter&Gamble are eyeing this market opportunity as consumer preferences shift and tampons sales drop, and are looking to invest in businesses that offer alternative, sustainable menstrual products.
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Events
ONLINE | ABHI (Association of British HealthTech Industries) Sustainability Conference 2024 | Thursday, 19th September 2024
ONLINE | Driving Innovation: Paving the Path to a Net Zero NHS Webinar | Tuesday, 24th September 2024
ONLINE | Women in Sustainability workshop: ABCs of ESG Reporting | 26th September 9:00am PDT / 17:00 BST
LILLE, FRANCE | CleanMed Lille | 26th September 2024
LEEDS, UK | Greener Healthcare and Sustainability Conference 2024 | Friday, 27th September 2024
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Resources
STRATEGISE - The Founder Impact Playbook by Impact VC gives insights on how founders can embed social and environmental impact thinking into their venture building, and how investors can build more impact-driven portfolios.
LISTEN - Dawn Bonfield interviewed on The Life Scientific about how inclusivity can make engineering better and future-proof current and future design.
READ - Healthcare Without Harm have shared insights from health professionals around the world about the impact of plastic pollution on our health. For more of a deep dive, access their library of resources about the impact of plastics on health.
LISTEN/WATCH - Ira Guha, founder of Asan menstrual cups on the The FemTech India Podcast.
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Funding
The Medical Research Foundation is inviting applications for research grants of up to £300,000 for mid-career researcher pairs based in Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK who are working on the impact of climate change on health.
CLOSING DATE: 25th September 2024
Pollutec Paris and VivaTech have launched a challenge for European start-ups from all sectors who are working on innovative solutions to significant environmental issues. Winners will be invited to take part in Pollutec Paris, the leading B2B show for environment & climate.
CLOSING DATE: 30th September 2024
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That’s all for this edition. See you next month!
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