Japan has implemented an innovative solution for waste disposal, with the production of the world’s first toilet paper made from recycled disposable diapers.
The project, called Shibushi Osaki Roll, is the result of collaboration between the Japanese cities of Shibushi and Osaki, the company Unicharm, specialized in hygiene products, and the manufacturer Poppy Paper. This product is already available in some stores in the Japanese regions of Kagoshima and Miyazaki.
Recycling and production process from used diapers
Since April 2024, the cities of Shibushi and Osaki have adopted the separation of used diapers during garbage collection to ensure the recycling of the material.
Until September, approximately 98 metric tons of hygiene waste were recycled, including diapers, sanitary napkins, and wet wipes.
The transformation process, developed by Unicharm, involves stages of cleaning, deodorization, and bleaching of disposable diapers to convert them into a pulp similar to that used in the paper manufacturing.
This recycled raw material is sent to the Poppy Paper factory, where it is combined with recycled paper and transformed into toilet paper rolls.
Results and perspectives
In just two months of operation, the factory produced approximately 30,000 rolls of the new paper, presenting itself as a sustainable alternative amid the reduction in the use of traditional paper due to the digitalization of documents and the aging of the Japanese population.
According to Satoshi Yoshida, from the sales sector of Poppy Paper, this innovation ensures new sources of raw materials in a scenario of scarcity of used paper.
“This initiative can help diversify the ways to obtain raw materials, especially as it is expected that the supplies of used paper will decrease with the increase in paperless systems and the reduction of the population,” explained Yoshida.
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