02.06.2023

Shredded Diapers Could Replace 40% of Concrete Sand in Construction

Seeking to find sustainable solutions to low-cost housing in Indonesia, scientists in the world’s third-most-populous nation hypothesized that used diapers could replace some of the sand in concrete mixtures. Disposable diapers are usually manufactured from wood pulp, cotton, viscose rayon, and plastics such as polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene, they are the Third most common item landfills worldwide. In the first 3 years, one child uses approximately 7,000 diapers in general. Scientists found that disposable diaper waste could replace up to 10% of the sand needed for concrete used to form columns and beams in a three-story house. This proportion increased to 27% of the sand needed to make concrete columns and beams in a single-story house, 40% of the sand needed for mortar in partition walls, compared to 9% of the sand in mortar for floors. There are few limitations, namely that no cooperation or supply chain exists for the collecting, washing, and shredding of diapers for material purposes. Furthermore, the amount of shredded diaper waste needs to be carefully calculated, since tests showed that differences as high as 2% compromised structural integrity. However, for reducing landfill burden, using diapers is very low-cost compared to other recyclable materials. Credits: DW