Kimberly-Clark Australia collab recycles Huggies diaper waste into bioenergy and compost

08 Dec 2022 --- Kimberly-Clark, manufacturer of Huggies nappies, has linked up with Australia-based companies to introduce a local nappy recycling trial, aiming to curb alarming rates of pollution caused by the disposable item in landfills.

The team has investigated the use of anaerobic digestion, in which microbes convert organic materials in Huggies diapers into “nutrient-rich compost” and bioenergy that can be captured and used to power the recycling process.

The Nappy Loop team consists of players from various sectors. Kimberly-Clark, along with Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, composters Peats Soils & Garden Supplies, waste management company Solo Resource Recovery and early learning and care provider G8 Education form the team.

Harnessing anaerobic digestion
Reportedly, the team has collected and recycled almost two metric tons of used Huggies diapers via anaerobic digestion in the recycling process.

Annually, approximately 300,000 Australian babies are born, with nearly 1.5 billion diapers ending up in landfills, with 95% of the babies wearing disposable nappies.

Since the Nappy Loop team has been recycling nappies for five months, the team is looking to scale the program in South Australia and nationally. It will include another partnership with APR Plastics to test the recycling of the recovered plastic from the nappies using pyrolysis, a thermal degradation process, explains Kimberly-Clark.

“CSIRO is working with Kimberly-Clark Australia to provide scientific validation of The Nappy Loop pilot to help tackle waste. Our research for this Australian trial will help inform the team on the potential scaling of the program to help reduce the number of nappies ending up in landfill,” says Dr. Anu Kumar, principal research scientist. 

The results of the project are anticipated to be released early next year.

An increasingly popular method
CSIRO is currently validating the trial results with initial results already showing that the anaerobic digestion process has been beneficial in biodegrading the organic matter in diapers (post separation of plastics) when mixed with expired food waste and beverages with high sugar content.

Huggies Bio Baby Wipes are 100% biodegradable - made with plant-derived fibers (50% cellulose and 50% processed cellulose (rayon)).The company explains that anaerobic digestion is an increasingly common process in industrial composting to break down biodegradable waste using microbes.

“Anaerobic digestion is a growing area of focus and possibility in Australia. The process has been used successfully in Toronto, Canada, to recycle disposable nappies,” states Pete Wadewitz, managing director of South Australia’s largest composter.

Kimberly-Clark notes that food waste and beverages aid in separating plastics from shredded diapers and provide additional liquid and sugars for anaerobic digestion. 

“The anaerobic digestion process was able to turn the fluff pulp and other organic components of the soiled nappies (after separating plastics) into nutrient-rich compost and biogas,” shares Kimberly-Clark.

“CSIRO is still assessing how much biogas is produced from the degradable organics in nappies. However, early test results indicate a successful conversion of organic carbon during the digestion of nappies (post separation of plastics) to biogas.”

Microplastic danger?
Plastic and organic materials in the diapers are separated at the start of the recycling process.

In the initial tests carried out by CSIRO, using a fast-screening method, microplastic fragments were reportedly not observed in the 28-day digestate.

“We are now undertaking more robust testing as ensuring microplastics do not make their way to the compost is essential to meet certification standards,” underscores Kimberly-Clark.

The company shares that Huggies diapers contain approximately 40% pulp and 60% plastic (about half of which contains superabsorbent polymer). Additionally, it is working to reduce the plastic content – “In 2021 alone, we reduced 232 metric tons of plastic across our nappies.”

Australian love for Huggies
Kimberly-Clark ANZ managing director, Belinda Driscoll says that Huggies is Australia’s most popular diaper brand. 

“We not only set the standards in baby care, but our goal is to set the standards for our industry in sustainability too,” she remarks. “We believe we have a responsibility to lead by example and find better solutions for the community and our planet.”Peats recycling facility.

“Families and daycare centers across the country rely on the convenience and performance of disposable nappies. While we work to innovate and create more sustainable products, recycling is one solution for disposable nappy waste.”

Moreover, Driscoll expresses that identifying a recycling solution that works hasn’t been easy due to the availability of technology and collection systems. 

“Today is a proud day for us, announcing that we have trialed right here in Australia and it represents a big step in Kimberly-Clark ANZ’s sustainability strategy.”

Eco-synergies
Solo Resource Recovery collects used Huggies nappies from G8 Education’s Welly Road Early Learning Centre in Mount Barker and delivers them to the Peats composting facility for processing, explains Kimberly-Clark. 

The diapers are processed and the bioenergy waste is used to power Peats’ facility.

“Through this partnership, the nappies changed every day at our Welly Road center are recycled instead of going into landfill,” says Ali Evans, head of early learning and education at G8 Education.

“As educators of future generations, sustainability is a core focus in all our 440 centers across Australia, and we’re contributing to this partnership and the positive environmental impact it can make.”

Edited by Venya Patel