The issue of end-of-life management for absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) is a key concern for all municipal solid waste service providers. Today, used diapers and incontinence pads are disposed of in landfills or incinerators, with significant health and environmental costs. These include greenhouse gas emissions, soil and groundwater contamination, air pollution and unpleasant odors, as well as the release of microplastics into food chains.

WE WANT TO AVOID THIS

In Italy’s circular economy, the recycling of absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) is considered a true gem and a world-leading achievement. Ministerial Decree 62/2019 on End-of-Waste, which establishes that the secondary raw materials resulting from AHP recycling are no longer classified as waste but as materials to be reused in new production processes, is the first regulation of its kind in the world. It has also been emulated by other European countries.

Numerous studies in the scientific literature show that the recycling of absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) is environmentally preferable— in terms of emissions and other impacts—compared to landfill disposal and/or incineration.

  • Proprietary, validated, and original technology that on one hand meets the extremely stringent purity criteria for secondary raw materials imposed by law (Ministerial Decree 62/2019), and on the other minimizes energy consumption and environmental impact.

  • No risk to the population living near the plant, starting with emissions and environmental impact.

  • The plant sterilizes the waste (with no combustion) by generating steam using a boiler equivalent in size to those serving just seven apartment buildings, while the plant itself serves a population of one million people.

  • Each ton of AHPs that is recycled instead of sent to landfill is equivalent to removing 100 trucks from the road.

  • Once the 12 plants planned under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) have been built, the number of trucks taken off the road will amount to 28,000—each of which travels 1,500 kilometers per year.

For more information on authorization aspects: info@i-foria.com