Japan's UNICHARM launches recycled pulp diapers

Japan's UNICHARM recently announced that it will launch diapers and litter boxes made from recycled materials. The new diapers are made of recycled pulp from used diapers. The company stated that it expects the proportion of adult diapers in household waste to increase, while reducing their environmental impact through recycling and reuse. The new diapers will first be sold in the company's online store and some stores.

Recycling used products and making them into the same product for reuse is called horizontal recycling. In order to meet the commercialization needs of the product, UNICHARM has set up collection boxes at approximately 500 locations in Shibushi City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. It is reported that this is the first time the company has launched horizontal recycling products to ordinary consumers.

There are three types of horizontal recycling products launched this time, namely "Mommy Poco Pants" baby diapers, "Lifely" adult diapers, and "Too Toilet" cat litter boxes. As part of the "RefF" series, the price of horizontally recycled products is several percentage points higher than that of conventional products.

The Japanese Ministry of Environment predicts that due to factors such as an aging population, the proportion of adult diapers in general waste will increase from 5% in 2020 to around 7% by 2030. UNICHARM launched a diaper recycling campaign in some hospitals and nursing institutions in 2022 to promote the recycling of diapers.