Yes, we're talking about recycling. In today's age of recyclers - who would have thought that dirty diapers could be recycled into anything? Thanks to those great minds who thought up the idea and went to work on making it a reality.
As we all know, adult diapers and infant diapers are currently burned or buried in landfills. These disposal methods that either create CO2 or are in danger of releasing hazardous substances and other pollution to the surrounding area. But there's a green use that's been found for these convenient, necessary, incontinence products.
In Quebec, Canada, a plant is being built that will turn dirty diapers into diesel by using pyrolosis. What is Pyrolysis? Pyrolysis heats up the diapers in a closed, controlled environment at temperatures of up to 600C without air, essentially breaking them down thermally - and with no emissions. If you want to know more about pyrolysis, Google it to get the whole picture. Also read back issues of Scientific American & look for an article in OMNI magazine entitled "Oil from Anything". Tyson is currently making Diesel fuel (cleaner than what you get from the pump) from chicken and turkey guts, feathers, feet, etc.
The process in Quebec will use infant diapers all the way to adult diapers. While this fuel probably won't be utilized for diesel vehicles, it can be utilized in almost any industrial application.
As for the process in Japan, because their adult diapers and baby diapers are manufactured differently [Japans diapers are primarily paper vs plastic/polymer combination used in North America] - the end result is a different type of fuel. A bacteria free, odorless, pellet that can be used in biomass boilers or heating systems.
So, yet one more way to recycle! Using soiled adult diapers and infant diapers to make fuels that we need in everyday life which reduces the impact on our landfills.
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