| Title |
Used Disposable Nappies: environmental burden or resource for biofuel production and material recovery? |
| ID_Doc |
27799 |
| Authors |
Tsigkou, K; Zagklis, D; Vasileiadi, A; Kostagiannakopoulou, C; Sotiriadis, G; Anastopoulos, I; Kostopoulos, V; Zafiri, C; Kornaros, M |
| Title |
Used Disposable Nappies: environmental burden or resource for biofuel production and material recovery? |
| Year |
2022 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106493 |
| Abstract |
Currently, there is no established waste management plan that includes resource recovery from used disposable nappies (DNs), apart from incineration and landfilling, which both alternatives present serious downsides. By separating the DN constituents (biodegradable, super absorbent polymer (SAP), and plastics), as proposed in the current study, valuable resources can be recovered displacing the production of fertilizers, energy from fossil-fuels, adsorption materials, and fossil-derived plastics. In this work, the techniques to achieve this recovery are presented (physicochemical pretreatment, anaerobic digestion, dark fermentation, adsorption and dissolution/precipitation), alongside experimental results for the recovered materials and the anaerobic co-digestion with expired foodstuff, indicating a maximum recovery of 1.33 mol H-2/mol glucose, or 17.2 g/L volatile fatty acids (fermentation), and 14 NL CH4/L-feed. The recovered SAP exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity to methylene blue of 1 g/g, while a mixture of recovered plastics exhibited a tensile strength of 18 MPa and a melting point of 164 degrees C. Such a holistic approach could significantly contribute to the valorization of this kind of wastes, with the simultaneous production of valuable products and the significant reduction of the environmental impact, leading to the circular economy model transition. |
| Author Keywords |
Disposable nappies and diapers; anaerobic digestion; adsorption; plastics recovery; circular economy |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) |
| EID |
WOS:000830251800002 |
| WoS Category |
Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences |
| Research Area |
Engineering; Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| PDF |
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