What happens now with used diapers?
In The Netherlands each year we consume approximately 1 billion diapers. This produces approximately 180,000 tons of diaper waste. It is estimated that incontinence material is approximately the same tonnage. Every year. Now diapers, together with the residual waste, disappear into a waste incinerator and thus into the atmosphere. We choose a different solution. Better. Cleaner. Circular in the long term.
How do we see the future?
Wouldn't it be nice if we could return diapers to a specific location and that we can be sure that the materials are properly recycled (preferably to be used for the production of new diapers). Ideally, we prefer to live in a world without diapers, so we don't have to clean up the waste. But we think that is an illusion. Diapers are so easy to use, they will be a part of our economy for many years to come.
Re-use raw materials
Very valuable raw materials can be reused from each diaper. Plastics, fibres, the Super Absorbing Polymers (SAPs) and of course what we collect, for which the diaper was initially designed. All these substances are recovered: clean and economically. The qualitative residual flows find their way to new products. Preferably in a circular stream.
Lowest carbon footprint
Together with our technology partner, we have developed a diaper processing facility that meets the highest environmental requirements. If this process is compared with other alternatives, using an LCA (Life Cycle Analysis), our process comes out on top. According to research by Deloitte, our process saves 70% in CO2 emissions.
Research & Development
We are happy with where we are with our current technology. But we don't stop there. It must and can be done even better. We are committed to improving our recycling process. Even higher quality of the residual flows, thinking along with the design of diaper products, finding a solution when removing medicines. We are far from finished.