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Knowaste is the world’s first nappy/diaper recycling company. Originating in North America in the 1990s, Knowaste is dedicated to researching and developing technologies for recycling absorbent hygiene products (AHPs), such as disposable nappies/diapers, adult incontinence products and feminine hygiene products.

Mission
In September 2011, Knowaste Midlands became the UK’s first company to recycle AHPs when it opened a treatment facility in the borough of Sandwell in West Bromwich, Midlands, to process 36,000 tonnes of material per annum, saving 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Knowaste works with local authorities and waste contractors across the UK to recycle domestic AHP waste in a sustainable manner to produce useful products and minimise environmental impact.

Recycling nappies/diapers
A key aspect of Knowaste’s mission is to promote the collection and recycling of disposable nappies/diapers across the UK. Research has shown that Britain uses 3 billion nappies/diapers each year, 90% of which are disposable , equating to around 4% of UK household waste. In fact, the nappies/diapers from a single child account for 40 black sacks per year. Research has also found that a single nappy/diaper can take up to 500 years to decompose, due to the harsh plastics used in their manufacture. While many consider disposable nappies to be an essential product, they can have a severely harmful impact on the environment. Decomposing nappies release methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is twice as harmful as CO2. The decaying nappies/diapers from the average child release 630kg of methane – the equivalent of 1,800 miles in a family car. Knowaste works with hygiene service companies that collect nappies/diapers from childcare centres, nursery schools and private child care providers to convert this waste into useful materials in an environmentally sustainable way. Underway in Scotland, Wales and Cheshire, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is due to launch a formal call for evidence on its future Waste Prevention Plan for England in early 2013, which is to include measures to reduce disposable nappy/diaper waste going into landfill.

Local Authorities
AHPs are some of the few remaining household waste items that go straight to landfill or incineration facilities. With over 790,000 tonnes of AHP waste produced in the UK each year, AHP can account for as much as 10% of kerbside waste for some authorities. Knowaste Midlands works closely with local authorities to ensure that they meet increasingly demanding recycling and sustainability goals. Knowaste joins other waste treatment operators in providing solutions that operate at a higher level of the waste hierarchy and which, along with waste prevention, can benefit the environment.

Technology
Knowaste’s innovative technology processes AHPs and reclaims the valuable plastic and fibre to be recycled into products such as:

• plastic components for product manufacturing • plastic recycling bins • composite materials replacing steel, wood and concrete • cardboard • cardboard industrial tubing • fillers in the construction and road building sector

Knowaste is the only company operating in the UK that processes the resources required to make full use of this waste and deal with contaminants effectively. Subsequently, Knowaste services dramatically reduce carbon emissions, saving 70% of CO2 compared to the emissions from the usual disposal methods of landfill and incineration.