Billions of dirty diapers end up buried or burned every year in Japan -- more from seniors than babies -- but a recycling breakthrough has given them a new lease of life, one hot mess at a time.
A pilot project, billed as a world first, reuses the main ingredient in nappies to make new ones, offering hopes to ease bloated landfill sites and respond to a growing need for adult diapers in ageing Japan.
kAmQs6>2?5 7@C 323J 5:2A6CD :D 72==:?8] qFE 2 8C@H:?8 ?F>36C @7 6=56C=J A6@A=6 H62C 5:2A6CD[ 2?5 >@C6 C646?E=J[ 6G6? A6ED 5@ E@@[Q %2<29:D2 %2<292C2[ AC6D:56?E @7 y2A2?6D6 9J8:6?6 AC@5F4E >2<6C &?:492C>[ E96 7:C> 369:?5 E96 ?6H :?:E:2E:G6[ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmQx7 H6 42? EC2?D7@C> E96 D6?D6 @7 8F:=E @C5:?2CJ 4@?DF>6CD >2J 766= 23@FE FD:?8 5:DA@D23=6 AC@5F4ED :?E@ D@>6E9:?8 A@D:E:G6[ 2?5 >2<6 FD:?8 C64J4=65 AC@5F4ED E96 ?@C> :? D@4:6EJ[ :E H:== 364@>6 64@?@>:42==J G:23=6[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm&?:492C> :D E6DE:?8 E96 D496>6 :? EH@Â A:@?66C:?8Â D@FE96C? y2A2?6D6 >F?:4:A2=:E:6D[Â $9:3FD9: 2?5 ~D2<:[ H9:49 C64J4=6 g_ A6C46?E @7 9@FD69@=5 H2DE6Â \\ 7@FC E:>6D E96 y2A2?6D6 2G6C286]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ =@42=:E:6D[ 9@>6 E@ 23@FE c_[___ A6@A=6[ 564:565 E@ E2<6 C25:42= 24E:@? 2C@F?5 ad J62CD 28@ 27E6C AC65:4E:@?D E92E E96:C 4@>>F?2= CF33:D9 5F>A H@F=5 36 7F== 3J a__c]k^Am
kAm}@H[ E96 =2?57:== D:E6 H:== DE2J @A6? 7@C 2?@E96C 7@FC 564256D]k^Am
kAmx? a_ac[ 5:2A6CD H6C6 :?4=F565 :? E96 C64J4=:?8 5C:G6[ H:E9 C6D:56?ED C6BF:C65 E@ HC:E6 E96:C ?2>6D @? 56D:8?2E65 3:? 328D]k^Am
kAmQ&=E:>2E6=J[ @FC E@A AC:@C:EJ :D E@ C65F46 @FC EC2D9 2?5 6IE6?5 E96 =:76 @7 E96 =2?57:==[Q $9:3FD9: 6?G:C@?>6?E @77:4:2= z6?:49: |2EDF?282 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
k9am\ }2AAJ 6?5:?8 \k^9am
kAm%96 4@==64E65 5:2A6CD 2C6 D9C65565[ H2D965 2?5 D6A2C2E65 :?E@ AF=A[ A=2DE:4 2?5 DFA6C\23D@C36?E A@=J>6C W$p!X]k^Am
kAm&?:492C> 92D 366? 23=6 E@ C64J4=6 E96D6 >2E6C:2=D :?E@ AC@5F4ED H:E9 =6DD C:8@C@FD D2?:E2CJ C6BF:C6>6?ED[ =:<6 E@:=6E A2A6C]k^Am
kAmxE 92D 2=D@ 249:6G65 E96 3C62<E9C@F89 @7 >2?28:?8 E@ FD6 E96 AF=A[ H9:49 >2<6D FA E96 3F=< @7 2 5:2A6C[ E@ >2<6 ?6H @?6D]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@46DD 7@==@HD 2 DA64:2= @K@?6 EC62E>6?E 7@C DE6C:=:D2E:@?[ 3=6249:?8 2?5 56@5@C:D2E:@?]k^Am
kAmqJ a_ag[ &?:492C> 2:>D E@ C64J4=6 E96 A=2DE:4 2?5 23D@C36?E A@=J>6C 7C@> D@:=65 5:2A6CD E@ >2<6 ?6H @?6D 2D H6==[ %DFE@>F z:5@[ D6?:@C 6I64FE:G6 @77:46C @7 &?:492C>VD C64J4=:?8 3FD:?6DD[ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmu@C ?@H[ :ED C64J4=65 AC@5F4ED 2C6 @? D2=6 @?=J :? D@>6 =@42= DE@C6D[ AC:465 2C@F?5 `_ A6C46?E 9:896C E92? E9@D6 H:E9 7C6D9 C2H >2E6C:2=D[ @C 5:DEC:3FE65 E@ D6=64E65 49:=542C6 2?5 D6?:@C 42C6 46?EC6D]k^Am
kAm%96 4@>A2?J :D 2=D@ E6DE:?8 2 >6E9@5 E@ 4FE E96 2>@F?E @7 H2E6C :? E96 C64J4=:?8 AC@46DD[Â 2?5 2:>D E@ E62> FA H:E9 a_ >F?:4:A2=:E:6D 3J a_bd E@ C64J4=6 E96:C 5:2A6CD] Â k^Am
k9am\ p86:?8 ?2E:@? \k^9am
kAmy2A2? 92D 2 A@@C C64J4=:?8 C2E6[ C6FD:?8 ?@E 6G6? a_ A6C46?E @7 >F?:4:A2= H2DE6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 }2E:@?2= x?DE:EFE6 7@C t?G:C@?>6?E2= $EF5:6D]k^Am
kAm%92E 4@>A2C6D E@ ef A6C46?E :? v6C>2?J[ cc A6C46?E :? qC:E2:? 2?5 2C@F?5 ba A6C46?E :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am
kAm(2DE6 A6C 42A:E2[ 9@H6G6C[ :D =6DD E92? EH@\E9:C5D E96 ~trs 2G6C286 \\ 2 EJA:42= p>6C:42? E9C@HD 2=>@DE E9C66 E:>6D >@C6]k^Am
kAmy2A2? 5@6D C6=2E:G6=J H6== @? 86?6C2E:?8 6=64EC:4:EJ 3J :?4:?6C2E:?8 EC2D9[ E@@]k^Am
kAmx? E96 286:?8 ?2E:@?[ 9@>6 E@ 2=>@DE `__[___ A6@A=6 @G6C `__[ 5:2A6CDÂ 2?5 C6=2E65 AC@5F4ED 2C6 FD65 >@C6 3J D6?:@CD E92? 323:6D]k^Am
kAmx? a_ac[ y2A2? AC@5F465 h]e 3:==:@? 25F=E 5:2A6CD 2?5 :?4@?E:?6?46 A25D[ 4@>A2C65 E@ 6:89E 3:==:@? 7@C 323:6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 y2A2? wJ8:6?6 !C@5F4ED x?5FDECJ pDD@4:2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 8C@FA AC65:4ED y2A2? H:== E9C@H 2H2J a]e >:==:@? E@?D @7 5:CEJ 5:2A6CD 6G6CJ J62C 3J a_b_[ FA 7C@> 2C@F?5 a]a E@?D :? a_a_]k^Am
kAmqJ E92E 52E6[ E96 D92C6 @7 5:CEJ 5:2A6CD :? y2A2?6D6 EC2D9 3J H6:89E H:== C:D6 E@ f]` A6C46?E 7C@> d]a A6C46?E :? a_a_[ E96 6?G:C@?>6?E >:?:DECJ D2:5]k^Am
kAmqJ a_b_[ E96 ?2E:@?2= 8@G6C?>6?E H2?ED 2E =62DE `__ @7 >@C6 E92? `[f__ >F?:4:A2=:E:6D E@ DE2CE C64J4=:?8 5:2A6CD[ @C 2E =62DE E2=< 23@FE :E]k^Am
kAm9:9^DEF^4>D^=3k^Am
