“Finally, we’re ready to go!”
An exciting new period has started for Danish Femcare Start-up Mewalii: Founders Simone Westergaard and Frederikke Dahl launched their first product — hemp-based period pads, made from Sero™ regenerative natural fibres.
"That moment was simply surreal. After all this time and effort, we had finally reached this point — it was unbelievable," said Simone Westergaard, Co-Founder of Mewalii, when reflecting on the moment she and her partner, Frederikke Dahl, held the product in their hands for the first time.
From their initial encounter at a university entrepreneurship program in 2018, where they sparked the idea of developing fully biodegradable sanitary pads, to discussing the concept with passionate late-night brainstorming sessions at Simone’s kitchen table, the founding of Mewalii and now their first product launch, it has been a long and bumpy road for the duo.
The two founders had a crystal-clear vision that fueled their energy and perseverance for the next four and a half years: providing anyone who menstruates with climate-friendly sanitary pad options.
According to UNICEF, approximately half of the female population – around 26 percent of the global population – is of reproductive age. Most of them menstruate each month for about two to seven days. Despite this being the flow of nature since the beginning of time, environmentally friendly menstrual products are still hard to find. A startling fact for Simone and Frederikke that propelled them into action. "We wanted to develop a product made from materials that are less harmful to the environment than those used in conventional sanitary napkins. Some of the pads available today are made of up to 90 percent plastic. We wanted to change that” Simone explains. Especially, since every menstruator will use somewhere between 5,000 and 15,000 pads and tampons during their lifetime, most of them ending up in landfills.
Simone and Frederikke were astonished by the massive amount of waste generated by traditional disposable feminine hygiene products, including their wrapping and packaging. The two entrepreneurs recognized the need for alternatives — alternatives that are both better for the environment and better for the people. It became their vision to develop products that empower individuals to make healthy and eco-conscious period choices. Put simply, they wanted to be leaders in offering nature-positive products in the femcare market.
"We wanted to develop a product made from materials that are less harmful to the environment than those used in conventional sanitary napkins."
Frederikke, the product developer of the duo, spent months researching and testing various plant fibres for their absorbency, water consumption, chemical usage, and overall environmental impact. Mewalii wanted to tackle the environmental issues without compromising comfort or quality. Soon, it became clear that Sero™ regenerative hemp was the preferred choice of fibre for their products. Hemp is grown with minimal or no input of pesticides or herbicides, which was important for Simone and Frederikke, especially since the layers of the sanitary pads directly touch the skin. Mewalii pads are made from around 75 percent of Sero™ natural hemp fibre — the core is made entirely from hemp, while the topsheet is a blend of hemp and viscose for added softness.
“With our pads, we clearly wanted to shift a paradigm. Using Sero™ regenerative hemp fibre allows us to give back more to the planet than we take. Through the benefits of hemp, we can repair a lot of the harm that’s been done,” Simone elaborates. Hemp is an annually renewable plant that stands out as one of nature’s most efficient carbon sequesterers. It improves soil health, protects biodiversity, and doesn’t require irrigation. “With Sero™ hemp fibre we found a fantastic option that comes from farms that engage in regenerative agricultural practices and restore our natural environment and local communities,” Simone says. Additionally, Sero™ hemp is grown and processed in Europe, avoiding long transportation routes, a key principle for Mewalii.
Today, Mewalii offers their day and night pads made from Sero™ regenerative performance fibre individually or on a subscription basis through their webshop.
“Having the product finally ready is a huge milestone for us, and we’re very proud of what we have achieved, especially under these circumstances,” Simone says. Being raised by parents who are entrepreneurs, they didn’t expect that owning and running a company would be a piece of cake.
However, 2023 pushed the duo to their limits. Their main investor suddenly backed out, Simone got involved in a car accident (luckily, nobody was harmed), and, around the same time, she and Frederikke had to grieve the loss of four close family members. Additionally, they encountered roadblock after roadblock in the technical product development, and the idea of a nature-positive period care product slipped further and further out of reach. "This year felt like being in a washing machine," Simone says. Despite the challenges, they never considered giving up.
The turbulent year also highlighted what a fantastic team Frederikke and Simone make. "Frederikke and I complement each other perfectly," Simone says. She has a degree in Health & Sports and works on the commercial side of Mewalii, while Frederikke has a degree in Integrated Design and is responsible for the product development. "We totally click on a personal level, so we keep motivating each other to follow our vision and hold our ground."
"With Sero™ hemp fibre we found a fantastic option that comes from farms that engage in regenerative agricultural practices and restore our natural environment and local communities."
Their perseverance paid off: Recently, and finally, the two founders were able to hold the product in their hands for the first time. Dozens of pallets with Mewalii products were delivered to their warehouse in Germany, and soon after, their webshop opened. “Finally, we’re ready to go,” Simone says.
For the future, the two founders have clear goals in mind: growing their company and finding a way to make all parts of their pads fully compostable, and thus, nature-positive. “Right now, the lowest biodegradability is the biofilm. It’s industrially compostable, but we aim to make our pads fully compostable at home as well to reduce landfill waste,” Simone asserts. Additionally, through their products, they want to educate people about the importance of keeping sanitary products free from chemicals and make them accessible for everyone at schools, companies, and public spaces. Simone emphasizes, “We’re committed to following our mission of making the world a little bit better. One product at a time.”