Plastic in diapers is for the first time being repurposed in Wales to pave a 1.5 mile road. The used diapers which numbered more than 100,000 were rinsed to remove excrement, then shredded and condensed with a mix of asphalt to create fibrous pellets. The end result smells indeed like a road.
In Britain around three billion disposable diapers are thrown away every year, this makes up around 2-3% of household waste. In the United States the daily number is around 50 million.
Disposable diapers have become a burden on the environment. The use of other alternatives are often explored. Cloth diapers are kinder on the environment but need to be cleaned efficiently in a washing machine and are not always convenient. Price and accessibility are the question as to whether parents would use another sustainable alternative – Seaweed-fiber Sumo diapers.
The majority of these nappies/diapers will go into landfill. It has also been found that even biodegradable diapers take many years to decompose. Reducing the amount of diaper waste that ends up in landfills is the aim of this ingenious idea.
Bildquelle:
- nappies: Wales Online
