Performance of compostable baby used diapers in the composting process with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste

Abstract

In modern societies, disposable diapers constitute a significant percentage of municipal solid wastes. They have been traditionally landfilled or incinerated as only limited recycling processes are being implemented in some parts of Europe. With the implementation of separated collection systems for the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSWs) and the need to preserve the environment, compostable diapers have appeared in the market to avoid the main environmental impacts associated to non-biodegradable disposable diapers. In this study, a full-scale composting of door-to-door collected OFMSW with a 3% (w/w) of compostable diapers has also been carried out. Previously, lab-scale experiments confirmed that almost 50% of carbon of compostable diapers is emitted as CO2 under aerobic controlled conditions. The results obtained at full-scale demonstrate that both the composting process and the final end product (compost) are not altered by the presence of compostable diapers in crucial aspects such as pathogenic content, stability and elemental composition (including nutrients and heavy metals). The main conclusion of this study is that the collection of the OFMSW with compostable diapers can be a new way to transform this waste into high-quality compost.

Home composting versus industrial composting: Influence of composting system on compost quality with focus on compost stability

“…Nevertheless, it strongly depends on the management systems used and, in this regard, door-todoor waste collection systems have been shown as the most appropriate strategy (Colón et al, 2013). Compared with industrial composting, home composting implies a better control of the material treated, reducing impurities.…”

Evaluation of a Disposable-Diaper Collection Trial in Korea through Comparison with an Absorbent-Hygiene-Product Collection Trial in Scotland

“…Currently, diaper waste is collected in waste bags and transported to the nearest resource-recovery facilities, where it is buried or incinerated without going through the process of separation [4]. Diaper waste is disposed of on a daily basis and its environmental impacts include land use, methane production and the leaching of organic compounds into the soil and groundwater [8][9][10][11]. In 2011, Deloitte conducted a study comparing the environmental performance of Knowaste's Absorbent Hygiene Products (hereafter, AHP) recycling process to the standard UK disposal practice-namely, controlled landfill or incineration with energy recovery.…”

Valorization of Superabsorbent Polymers from Used Disposable Diapers as Soil Moisture Conditioner

“…At present, used diapers are generally not collected separately and are disposed of as solid municipal waste for further treatment, mainly by incineration, land filling [11,12] and, to a lesser degree, by composting [13] or anaerobic digestion [14]. Waste recycling is an important aspect of environment sustainability, on the other hand, minimizes waste products placed in landfills, promotes recovery of materials that can be reused in new productive cycles, prevents energy usage and consumption of fresh raw materials and allows to preserve natural resources and the environment for future generations.…”

“…A method has been patented for the separating products such as disposable diapers containing superabsorbent polymers into their constituent parts, including a plastic component, super absorbent polymers, and cellulosic fibers, and further refinement of said constituent parts [15]. Biological treatments that valorize the cellulose content of used diapers, such as composting, and use as substrate in edible mushroom production have been investigated at laboratory [13,16,17]. Valorization of diapers as substrate in cultivation of P. ostreatus of used baby diapers and wheat straw was carried out by Espinosa-Valdemar [7].…”