Ecologically-sound Pampers?

[BobbiSueEllen]

I was just thinking about this: back when I started wearing Pampers again in middle school, these diapers seemed a lot more ecologically sound than the diapers we know of today, which use SAP crystals...

Back then (until 1985), Pampers were fanfold and used only wood pulp for padding, meaning there was also a much-thicker Maximum Absorbency version (which I wore exclusively). I know this because in order to hide the incriminating evidence of me wearing diapers as a teen, I'd follow the directions on the box for flushing Pampers (whenever the family was gone, of course): I'd rip open the back seam of each diaper and then shake over the toilet until the fluff all got in...then flush. I did this two diapers at a time, twice, until all there was left was the plastic shell and lining. Those rolled up very compactly and would fit inside anything else which got trashed. 🗑 Problem solved. But this ended in 1986 when Pampers started using polymer crystals in their diapers and emphatically stated on the box to no longer flush their used diapers but ball it all up and toss into the trash.

This diaper-flushing of old never caused a problem in our plumbing, thankfully. But oddly enough, back then hardly anyone ever followed the directions on a Pampers box and flushed away the wet fluff and "baby soil"...the entire diaper was just balled up and tossed. Some idiots back then would read the instructions wrong and just flush the entire diaper down...to expected negative results (toilet flooding, a big mess and vulgar language).

Nowadays, just try flushing the contents of one or more diapers down the toilet. The SAP will create havoc!

 

[LilxFawn]

I was just thinking about this: back when I started wearing Pampers again in middle school, these diapers seemed a lot more ecologically sound than the diapers we know of today, which use SAP crystals...

Back then (until 1985), Pampers were fanfold and used only wood pulp for padding, meaning there was also a much-thicker Maximum Absorbency version (which I wore exclusively). I know this because in order to hide the incriminating evidence of me wearing diapers as a teen, I'd follow the directions on the box for flushing Pampers (whenever the family was gone, of course): I'd rip open the back seam of each diaper and then shake over the toilet until the fluff all got in...then flush. I did this two diapers at a time, twice, until all there was left was the plastic shell and lining. Those rolled up very compactly and would fit inside anything else which got trashed. 🗑 Problem solved. But this ended in 1986 when Pampers started using polymer crystals in their diapers and emphatically stated on the box to no longer flush their used diapers but ball it all up and toss into the trash.

This diaper-flushing of old never caused a problem in our plumbing, thankfully. But oddly enough, back then hardly anyone ever followed the directions on a Pampers box and flushed away the wet fluff and "baby soil"...the entire diaper was just balled up and tossed. Some idiots back then would read the instructions wrong and just flush the entire diaper down...to expected negative results (toilet flooding, a big mess and vulgar language).

Nowadays, just try flushing the contents of one or more diapers down the toilet. The SAP will create havoc!

I actually saw an article recently (for the life of me I can’t remember where) that said in Japan they’re looking to make adult diapers that you can flush. I didn’t read the whole thing because I ended up going grocery shopping and forgetting about it lol but I’m assuming that it might be similar to the pampers.

 

[Cottontail]

I actually saw an article recently (for the life of me I can’t remember where) that said in Japan they’re looking to make adult diapers that you can flush. I didn’t read the whole thing because I ended up going grocery shopping and forgetting about it lol but I’m assuming that it might be similar to the pampers.

That would be some epic new diaper technology. Even the "flushable" wipes they sell today are barely flushable, and totally a no-no if you have an OSS/septic system. When I hear anything called "flushable," I think of the "fatbergs" that have been found in sewers. Like this one in London, described as a 40-ton "mass of fat, grease, wet wipes and nappies."

Not to be gross or anything.

If it's not pee, poo, or simple toilet paper, do your household plumbing and public utility folks a favor: Don't flush it! (And for that matter, also avoid pouring used cooking oil and grease down the drain.)

 

[DannyBBaby]

yah one use disposable products are bad for the environment. I think one day these product, like disposable diapers will be band. because of they are so hard on the environment. I think soon some one will come out with a product that will be like a insert for reusable diaper, that will kill the smell that come from wet, and messy diapers.

 

[bambinod]

I actually saw an article recently (for the life of me I can’t remember where) that said in Japan they’re looking to make adult diapers that you can flush.

Something tells me they are just researching trying to find a way to do it. (they want to but don't have any idea how to make it happen)

Even diapers without SAP in them will still have problems in the plumbing. Flushing a diaper with SAP in it is pretty much guaranteed to create a very expensive plumber's bill

A place I worked at awhile ago shared a sewer line with a "baby accessories" store next door. One of their customers, in a moment of monumental stupidity, took her kid into their bathroom, changed the diaper, and flushed it. We were without toilets for over two days as they struggled to chew out the swollen diaper that was some 75 feet from the nearest access point. (the bathroom was at the far back of the store, and the diaper got stuck right ahead of the entrance to the sewer line under the street)

 

[Deleted member 5614]

Wearing only plastic-backed disposables, I've been keeping an eye on any innovation that might make them obsolete. For example, if mainstream manufacturers developed a fully biodegradable nappy, legislation could then prohibit manufacture and sale of plastic-based products on the basis that they were much less ecologically sustainable. There are two aspects - designing-out all the non-degradable materials without compromising performance, and finding a way to dispose of them sustainably or preferably recycle them once any fecal pathogens have been rendered harmless e.g. by autoclaving. There is a trial plant doing this in the UK even with current production nappies.

I think the Japanese study involves finding a technique, possibly using a machine, to separate a suitably-designed nappy into biodegradable materials that would be shredded and flushed, and the (minimal) non-biodegradable parts that would be left clean to handle to put in the trash. The idea of flushing is to use the existing sewage treatment infrastructure to recycle organic matter and destroy pathogens. At the moment the whole lot is indiscriminately put into the trash because it's hard to separate, leaving lots of biodegradable material uselessly trapped in landfill.

Separating the plastic parts has always been key to the process. The old Pampers had a flat plastic backsheet that could easily be removed and trashed, allowing the padding to be flushed. Before the all-in-ones, many disposables consisted of a disposable pad worn inside a plastic panty. That way the plastic / waterproof part was washed and re-used, while the biodegradable pad made of fluff pulp inside a cellulose cover would be discarded either in the trash or torn open and flushed. That concept still exists as gDiapers which as far as I can tell are about as close as you can get to all-in-one performance while keeping the re-usable shell / recyclable pad configuration.

 

[bambinod]

I think right now the Japanese are focusing in incinerating the diapers and using them to generate power. The advantage to incinerators over regular burning for fuel is that incinerators use much higher temperatures, and those will break down 100% of toxic chemicals and biohazards. But burning things always creates challenges in controlling pollution. Adding infrastructure to reduce pollution costs money and makes a big dent on the cost-effectiveness of the process. It still makes sense to do in Japan though because of their reliance on importing energy and their lack of landfill space, but that doesn't work in most other regions of the world.

 

[Deleted member 5614]

Incineration at least gets something from post-consumer waste if you can utilise the heat, but wet diapers make for low-grade fuel to transport so as you say it might not work amongst large areas with sparse populations. I had this link to one of the initial news items about the project; the translation isn't perfect (e.g. crushed for shredded): http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201901280007.html
There was more detail in an article from the ministry itself but I can't find that right now.