Recycling Diapers
Can diaper waste be recycled?
Copenhagen has set the goal of collecting and recycling diapers by 2024. Join us in the efforts to establish a new recycling scheme.
With an annual amount of almost 9.400 tons, diapers comprise a significant part of the total weight of residual waste collected in Copenhagen. Most diapers are designed for single use. And most people do not perceive them as a potential resource, because they contain… well.
In fact, diapers do contain resources, such as fibres, superabsorbent material, and plastic, which can be recycled. And the first full-scale solutions for diaper recycling in Europe have seen the light of day. Also, there are examples of alternative diaper solutions, which are not centered around the traditional take-make-dispose single-use model. Copenhagen wishes to join the development towards circular use of diapers and has set the goal of recycling 2.500 tons of diapers annually by 2024.
Please contact us if you want more information or wish to engage in dialogue about diaper reuse and recycling.
Learn more about the test schemes
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Testing Compostable Diapers Spring 2023
A partnership has piloted the use of compostable diapers in selected daycares and kindergartens in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg municipalities.
The purpose of the partnership was to test if diaper waste could be turned into energy and high-quality compost.
Over a period of 4 months during spring 2022, the partnership tested the use of compostable diapers in three different daycares in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg. The pilot would provide valuable insights into:
- Functionality and comfort of the compostable diapers
- Work environment related to use of the compostable diapers and the waste collection
- Sorting and collection rates
- Biogasification and composting
- Purity and quality of resulting compost
- Economic and environmental impacts of the compostable diaper solution
The partnership builds on experiences obtained in Paris, France, where a similar solution has been tested since 2020.
Aim of the partnership
The partnership aims to produce detailed knowledge and data on the use of compostable diapers as well as waste sorting, collection and treatment. At the same time, the partnership will look at the purity of the resulting compost product. At the same time, they will form the basis for a subsequent decision proposal regarding the introduction of compostable nappies in Copenhagen Municipality's institutions.
The report on the test scheme for compostable diapers is now available.
Read the full report on the test scheme (in Danish)
Diaper Waste Collection Trial Autumn 2022
In its Waste and Resource Management Plan 2024, Copenhagen has a goal of collecting and recycling 2.500 tons of diaper waste annually by 2024. Therefore, the process of establishing a new collection and recycling scheme has been set in motion.
As a first step, the City of Copenhagen has conducted a large-scale sorting and collection pilot for used nappies. The pilot ran from September to December 2022. It included 11 apartment buildings in Copenhagen and 4 kindergartens.
The aim of the pilot was to generate sufficient information to develop a tender for a diaper recycling solution.
