Public-private initiative in Japan creates the world’s first toilet paper made from recycled materials from disposable diapers

An innovative solution to waste disposal has been implemented in Japan, with the production of the world’s first toilet paper made from recycled disposable diapers. The product, called Shibushi Osaki Roll, is already on sale in stores in the Kagoshima and Miyazaki regions of Japan.

The project is the result of cooperation between the cities of Shibushi and Osaki in Japan, the company Unicharm, which specializes in hygiene products, and the manufacturer Poppy Paper. Since April 2024, the cities have adopted the separation of used diapers during garbage collection to ensure the reuse of the material. By September, around 98 metric tons of hygiene waste, including pads and wet wipes, had been recycled.

The transformation process, developed by Unicharm, involves cleaning, deodorizing and bleaching the disposable diapers so that they can be converted into a pulp similar to that used to make paper. This recycled raw material is sent to Poppy Paper’s factory, where it is combined with recycled paper and transformed into toilet rolls.

In just two months of operation, the factory has produced approximately 30,000 rolls of the new paper, which is seen as a sustainable alternative amid the reduction in the use of traditional paper due to the digitization of documents and the aging of the Japanese population.

According to Satoshi Yoshida, from Poppy Paper’s sales department, this innovation helps to secure new sources of raw materials in a scenario of waste paper shortages. “This initiative can help diversify ways of securing raw materials, especially as supplies of waste paper are expected to decrease with the rise of paperless systems and population reduction,” explained Yoshida.

Source https://tissueonlinenorthamerica.com/japan-launches-toilet-paper-made-from-used-diapers/

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