What is the name of your organization?
Leafline
What is the name of your solution?
Washable Sanitary wear
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Leafline manufactures washable sanitary wear made from the leaves of the Cayenne pineapple., the fibre is used as the absorbent part of the product
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Bathurst, Eastern Cape, South Africa
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
South Africa
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
The problem Leafline is solving, is to replace disposable sanitary items with reusable, washable items made with the natural fibre taken from the leaf of the Cayenne pineapple. Disposable sanitary items like sanitary towels, adult and children diapers take between 500-800 years to decompose. Used disposable items often end up on landfill where they are eaten by animals, when heavy rains come these items are washed into the rivers and end up in the oceans. Sanitary products are also flushed into the toilets and also end up in rivers and oceans. Poorer communities cannot afford disposable products as single use items are expensive.
What is your solution?
Solution: Leafline manufactures washable sanitary products using the leaf of the Cayenne pineapple. This fibre is stronger than cotton and absorbs moisture, odour and bacteria. Due to the strength of the fibre, the product can last up to 2 years, ( this makes the product more affordable than the disposable item) the range includes washable sanitary towels and adult and children's diapers. All the products are made from the natural fibre for absorption, this fibre replaces the toxic gel found in disposable products
Leafline manufactures the fibre in house. The leaves are picked and milled, washed and milled again to obtain a soft fibre that is used in all the products for absorbency.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Leafline's target population are the people in lower income communities who are unable to afford sanitary products, including children and adult nappies. The solution will allow for them to have dignity and good quality, clean and hygienic products. School girls can attend school and not miss due to lack of sanitary wear.
Leafline also employs people form the rural area of Bathurst in the Eastern Cape, the company employs able and disabled adults and trains them to make the products, creating much needed employment as well as teaching skills for future opportunities
