The World Health Organization estimates that in the UK alone, disposable menstrual products generate more than 200,000 tonnes of landfill waste annually. Expand that to a global scale, and the impact is staggering.
One Nova Scotia-based start-up is dedicated to making products that are as natural and cyclical as periods themselves. Aruna Revolution was founded in 2021 by biomedical engineer Rashmi Prakash during their graduate studies at UBC. The company, now based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is redefining menstrual care with sustainability and inclusion at its core.
From Big Ideas to Biodegradable Breakthroughs
Growing up in Wales and southern Ontario, Prakash dreamed of a world where green dragons cleaned the sky. “Be realistic is, like, the worst advice I’ve ever gotten in my life,” she said told The Coast in 2023. That sense of bold possibility continues to shape her work with Aruna. The idea took off during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she began prototyping compostable pads from food waste in a Vancouver apartment kitchen.
The Problem: Pads That Outlive Us All
Every year, 20 billion menstrual pads and their packaging end up in North American landfills. A single menstruator may throw out up to 200 kilograms of waste in their lifetime—with 90% of pads containing plastic. Traditional products can take anywhere from 500 to 800 years to decompose. Even reusable options often wind up in landfills, and many so-called biodegradable pads still release microplastics.
A Solution, Grown from the Ground
Aruna’s response? Pads that are made from upcycled, plant-based food waste—like canola stalks and corn husks. These products are fully compostable and made without PFAs, chlorine, or synthetic fragrances, making them safer for users and the planet. The solution also provides potential revenue opportunities for the farmers and food producers who supply the materials.
Backed by the Startup Community
Aruna has found strong support in Nova Scotia’s cleantech ecosystem. A $40,000 Invest Nova Scotia grant and participation in the GreenShoots program helped fund early research and developmentR&D. The company also joined the RBC Women in Cleantech Accelerator through MaRS in Toronto—opening the door to mentorship and national exposure. In 2024, Prakash was named a Clean50 Emerging Leader for her contributions to sustainable health innovation.
A Dragons’ Den Deal—and a Path to Growth
National attention followed Aruna’s appearance on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, where Prakash secured a deal from Michele Romanow and Manjit Minhas. Aruna continues to expand its fibre-extraction capabilities, grow its team, and deepen partnerships with local farmers and food producers.
Looking Ahead
Aruna’s vision goes well beyond pads. The team is working on a full line of compostable menstrual and incontinence products, and applying their fibers in a $211 billion global market, they’re carving out space for something better. Starting from a kitchen lab in Vancouver and finding a supportive home base in Nova Scotia, Aruna is rethinking what care, commerce, and climate action can look like when they all work together.
