Council could start recycling dirty nappies

Councillor Chris Watts said the initiative could help the council reach its target of recycling 50% of waste within two years

Dirty nappies could soon be recycled instead of being thrown away, councillors have been told.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Swindon Borough Council discussed the idea as part of efforts to increase recycling rates.

Councillor Chris Watts, cabinet member for highways and environment, said the move could help the council reach its target of recycling 50% of waste within two years.

He noted that Carmarthenshire County Council already collected nappies for recycling.

Rob Brown Head Of Waste Collection and Councillor Chris Watts say dirty nappies, made largely of plastic, can be processed into reusable materials

The Welsh authority collects millions of nappies each year, extracting plastic fibres to create benches and materials for road surfaces.

Speaking at the Build a Greener Swindon policy committee, Mr Watts explained that disposable nappies, made largely of plastic, can be processed into reusable materials by specialist companies.

"Carmarthenshire County Council is already collecting nappies," Mr Watts.

"The plastic is extracted and it can be used for things like plastic benches, and they can also be turned into material that can be added to road surfacing, it makes it stronger. It's all sanitised".

Mr Watts also suggested that special bags could be given to households to ensure the collection service would be as frequent as regular waste pick-ups.

Millions of nappies collected

A spokesman for Carmarthenshire County Council said it collected six million nappies in 2023 alone and used the recycled material to create stronger, longer-lasting roads".

A council spokesman said it worked with a company called Nappicycle to recycle the nappies into fibres which are just as effective as conventional materials with no additional cost.

The spokesman added: "Instead of landfilling waste nappies, they have become a valuable resource in the improvement of our highway infrastructure. This project reduces our reliance on virgin resources and creates a more sustainable waste management system".