Used nappies could soon be solving Islington’s pothole problem.
A pioneering recycling scheme will see local roads resurfaced with repurposed plastic nappies.
Disposables collected in a borough-wide trial are being taken to a dedicated recycling facility to be turned into material to resurface roads.
The NappiCycle plant in Wales is the first of its kind in the UK. Operations director Craig Masters said: “We are taking waste in from Islington into our plant, and we will reprocess that material into a product that will be put back into local authorities’ highways.”
The plastic nappies are cleaned and then melted down to make a bitumen modifier for the asphalt used on highways.
More than three billion disposable nappies are thrown away in the UK every year. It is not known how long they may take to decompose, but they are predicted to last for at least 500 years, long outliving the babies they were used on.
Single-use nappies currently make up around 8% of North London’s residual waste.
North London Waste Authority (NLWA) is working with Camden and Islington councils to trial the new recycling service.
Residents in trial areas will be able to put their nappies out for a separate weekly collection.
NappiCycle claims that as well as the environmental benefits of repurposing nappy waste, their asphalt formula is expected to make the roads quieter and longer lasting.
Some residents are concerned over how parents are meant store nappies throughout the week.
Aisling McGrath, a mother in Islington, said: “If there was a good handy way to store the bin bag so that it wasn’t too gross to keep it for a whole week, I think it would be a really good idea.
“There needs to be a storage component, but I definitely think if that was an option most mums would want to, because they [nappies] make up such a huge amount of waste.”
The nappy bin bags must be put out within one metre of property entrances by 7am on weekly collection days.
The dedicated recycling bags cannot contain any other waste, including tissues and wipes.
Eligible households can order pink recycling bags for used nappies from Veolia.
If you’re a parent, you can also get a £70 voucher to spend on reusable washable nappies. Switching to reusable nappies can save families up to £1,000 via Real Nappies for London.
Alice Walker, Real Nappies for London Project Manager at Women’s Environmental Network said: “Recycling schemes like this, which also highlight reusable options, are a positive step, but the priority should always be given to prevention and reuse.”
You can get more information about the trial and the included areas from Camden or Islington councils.
