Nappies make up around 8% of north London's residual waste, and up until now, there have been no viable options for recycling them. But recycling technology is developing all the time, and there are now some promising opportunities for turning nappies into something new.
NLWA is working with Camden and Islington councils to trial a nappy recycling service. Residents in a select trial area are able to put their nappies out for a separate weekly collection. These nappies will then be taken to a dedicated nappy recycling facility for reprocessing.
What happens to the nappies?
Nappies collected during the trial will be transported to a dedicated recycling facility in Wales run by NappiCycle. This is the only nappy recycling facility in the UK, and they primarily use the material to make a bitumen modifier for asphalt used in roads. The nappies are dewatered and the nasty stuff separated out. All of the materials within the nappies are utilised and added to bitumen, which is a binder that holds asphalt together.
Am I eligible for the nappy recycling trial?
As the service is still in a trial phase, at the moment we are only offering it to a small number of households in Islington and Camden. Eligible households were notified via mail at the beginning of the trial. You can get more information about the trial and the included areas from Camden or Islington councils.
Try reusable nappies for free
If you’re a parent, you can get a £70 voucher to spend on reusable washable nappies. Switching to reusable nappies can save families up to £1,000. Find out more at Real Nappies For London.