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Spotted: Babies can go through over 10 nappies a day, which results in around 1.5 billion disposable nappies being sent to landfill every year in Australia alone. Keen to keep as many nappies as possible out of landfill, Australian company DiaperRecycle offers a subscription pick-up service for dirty disposable nappies. 

A single household pays a fee of AU$9.95 (around €6.16) each week, with multiple households receiving a discount if they opt to use a single pick-up location. Users shake out any solids from the nappies and remove wipes or biodegradable nappies from the load before pick-up. After collection, which happens every couple of weeks, the dirty nappies are taken to a recycling facility where the plastic is separated from the fibre. 

This plastic is then sent for recycling while DiaperRecycle turns the leftover fibre into high-absorbency, flushable cat litter. Subscribers to the nappy pick-up service receive a discount on orders of cat litter, with litter deliveries occurring on the same day and time as the nappy collection. As more households sign up, DiaperRecycle occasionally shifts collection times around to make driving routes more efficient. Families receive communications about any changes to the routine several weeks in advance. 

Any disposable diapers are eligible for collection, including adult sizes, with DiaperRecycle working with elder care facilities and other care organisations as well as individual households. Right now, the collection service is available in the metro Melbourne area in Victoria, and the company is accepting requests for expansion into other states.  

Springwise’s library includes a range of essential innovations to help make caring for a newborn less environmentally damaging, with examples including a subscription service for reusable nappies and using UV light to recycle them.

Written By: Keely Khoury