Birmingham set to trail blaze nappy recycling (22.04.2008)
Canadian firm Knowaste has unveiled plans to build the UK's first nappy recycling plant which is set to be operational by the end of this year, in the West Midlands.
And, Alpha Waste Care of Hockley Birmingham, is set to provide a collection service for nappies from nursing homes and hospitals.
Knowaste says that 98% of a disposable nappy or incontinence pad can be removed from the waste stream and that costs for recycling are competitive compared to sending the material to landfill. The nappies are made up of 25% pulp, 12% plastic, 6% super absorbent polymers, 7% waste and 50% water.
Roy Brown, chief executive and president of Knowaste, said that he expected the Birmingham-based facility to be ready and working by autumn this year.
He said that Knowaste have already received enough tonnage commissions for the facility to work at "full-capacity from day one."
The plant will process 30,000 tonnes per year, Mr Brown said: "But that is just scratching the surface. The UK produces around 800,000 tonnes of nappy waste per year." Knowaste sees lots of opportunity in the UK and is planning to build more facilities over the next five years. Mr Brown announced: "We hope to build one plant per year over the next five years."
The company also wants to build larger plants capable of processing 50,000 tonnes of waste per year and Mr Brown believes there is room for three facilities in the London area alone. The Birmingham plant will be developed on an existing waste site not far from the centre of the city.
Logistics
He said that the Birmingham plant will work with logistics partner Alpha Waste Care to collect nappies from nursing homes and hospitals.
Once at the plant, Knowaste uses a Canadian patented technology "to deactivate the super-absorbent polymers in nappies, which release the moisture. The plastic outer-coating can then be separated and sent for use elsewhere."
Knowaste has another partner company, Belgium-based NRC, which produces plastic roof tiles and much of the recycled nappy plastic is sent to them for re-use. Anything else left over goes to an "energy island" within the plant. Mr Brown said: "We use everything for positive results."
Knowaste
Knowaste is also in talks with local councils and trying to arrange householder nappy collections, said Mr Brown. "We are talking to councils to get householders involved and developing collection methodologies. There is a good dialogue about the most efficient way to do this."
Mr Brown believes that the UK needs a recycling service of this type as five per cent of the waste stream is made up of nappies and is a significant landfill waste stream. Nearly three billion nappies are thrown away in the UK each year and Defra estimates that 90% of these end up in landfill.