Bristol parents invited to join nappy recycling trial

Besides nappies, other absorbent hygiene products like baby wipes, breast pads, period products and maternity pads can also be recycled

Parents in Bristol are being asked to recycle their children's used nappies as part of a new trial this month.

Pura NappiCycle are conducting the 12-month study, the largest of its kind to, to attempt to reduce the environmental impact of discarding used nappies.

They estimate that 3bn disposable nappies are used annually in the UK, with used diapers lasting more than 500 years in landfill.

Cellulose fibres extracted from the recycled nappies can then be used for a variety of purposes, including the paving of roads and making notice boards.

Cost-efficient solution

It follows a smaller trial the company undertook in Bristol in June 2022. The project saved 6.3 tonnes of waste during the six-month period- the equivalent of 31,500 nappies.

The idea for the project came to NappiCycle founder Rob Poyer, who had previously worked as a landfill manager. Then a director of a clinical waste collection company in Wales, he set about trying to find a cost-efficient solution for nappy and other hygiene product waste.

Following numerous successful trials in the country, he was approached by Guy Fennell, green hygiene brand co-founder of Pura baby care.

"Guy approached me seeking a solution to nappy waste and the Pura NappiCycle partnership began in 2020. From day one, Guy had a vision of mirroring what is happening outside of Wales in the rest of the UK.

"NappiCycle is now a world-leader in nappy recycling technology and recycles 40 million nappies a year."

NappiCycle, founded by Rob Poyer, now recycles 40 million nappies a year

Interested parents can sign up for the trial through the NappiCycle website.

The used products will be picked up from the homes of selected families and transported to a NappiCyle facility. The dirty nappies will then be cleaned and processed, with plastic and cellulose fibres extracted.

Mr Poyer said: "The cellulose fibre recovered from used nappies can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including the production of fibre boards and acoustic panelling, with the plastics sent to secondary re-processors for recycling."

In 2022, the recycled fibres were also used to resurface a section of the A487 road in Wales.

If this new trial in Bristol is successful, it will inform their conversations with the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as well as with local authorities.

"In the rest of the UK, local authorities aren’t incentivised to improve recycling targets as they are in Wales. To mimic what is happening in Wales, legislative change and support from local and central government is needed.

"We hope the trial results will help inform and convince those in power about the feasibility and benefits of nappy recycling", Mr Poyer added.