OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — "The whole thing comes back to empowering women to be able to handle their period in any bathroom and to have dignity and style and yet still have a positive impact on the environment, and that was the goal," said Lisa Gill, owner of Tossibles.
A struggle many women have faced for years is finding a way to properly dispose of feminine hygiene products.
"In the case of the military, you might be deployed, and you are sharing a porta-potty with men for months, or you're just out in the field. As all women know, your cycle is going to come whether the conveniences are around you or not and so it wasn't ideal," said Gill.
Sometimes, unisex bathrooms don't have an option for proper disposal.
"I have been in restrooms where they have the signs up not to flush any items, but yet the large trash bin is out in the main area holding the door open," said Gill.
These biodegradable Tossibles will also help the environment.
Employees at the city water treatment facility explained that things that get flushed that are not liquid or something dissolvable have to be taken out by machines, then turned into a sand-like material, and then taken to the landfill. Lisa Gill has plans to expand her business to help eliminate items from being flushed.
"After coming to the plant and meeting my friend Shawn, I learned that condoms are one of the other big culprits that cause issues here. So the next line for Tossibles is going to be for men, for condom disposal. The disposal envelopes will be white, they will blend in with your tissues and anything else in the bin," said Gill.
Tossibles is not only meant for use in public but at home as well.
"We have a septic tank, and we can not put products down the toilet, they have to be disposed of. Otherwise, there are costly repairs that could be needed, so I really appreciate that I have this option," said Dr. Kari Wade, a Tossibles user.
This is something pet owners may also need.
"It controls odors enough, that the pets are leaving it alone now. That was a huge issue, and a huge relief to the users to not come home and see their items spread out across the floor at any point. That is not something anyone wants to deal with, and pets just find a way," said Gill.
As a business owner, the biggest struggle was finding someone to manufacture this product, but Gill eventually found a sales representative that's pretty close by.
"I finally found a sales rep in Kansas City that was a woman and she said I get it," said Gill.
The sales rep works for the company that manufactures the product. Ten percent of all sales go to providing feminine hygiene products and or education to those who need them.
