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“Green” diaper disposal?


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I wear disposables, like most people here. I wear probably about 12/7, so each week it definitely adds up. My trash smells even tho I just wet, so I started buying 2-gallon ziplock bags, which hold up to 3 used diapers. Way more effective than using plastic grocery bags. No problem with the smell anymore.

But it’s bad enough I’m generating all the refuse that the diapers themselves, parts of which will outlast me. Adding plastic bags makes it even worse.

Is there such a thing as biodegradable, yet mostly odor-proof, bad suitable for disposing of disposable, adult-sized diapers? Or does anyone have any other ideas that don’t include my guests wondering why my house smells like a nursery, and not in a good way?

Switching to cloth, which are better but not perfect for the environment, is not an option.

Thanks

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There has not been any proof that cloth is better for the environment, in fact, last time I read about it, the impact was about the same, might not be the same for every country, specially not those that use landfills

Some cities in Norway allow baby diapers to be thrown in the food waste

To avoid the smell, throw them out regularly or put them in airtight bags

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2 hours ago, Author_Alex said:

I wear disposables, like most people here. I wear probably about 12/7, so each week it definitely adds up. My trash smells even tho I just wet, so I started buying 2-gallon ziplock bags, which hold up to 3 used diapers. Way more effective than using plastic grocery bags. No problem with the smell anymore.

But it’s bad enough I’m generating all the refuse that the diapers themselves, parts of which will outlast me. Adding plastic bags makes it even worse.

Is there such a thing as biodegradable, yet mostly odor-proof, bad suitable for disposing of disposable, adult-sized diapers? Or does anyone have any other ideas that don’t include my guests wondering why my house smells like a nursery, and not in a good way?

Switching to cloth, which are better but not perfect for the environment, is not an option.

Thanks

Disposable diapers in general are not very good for the environment.  What might help some is to empty the diaper fluff into the toilet and throw away the shell in the regular trash, since it is the fluff that holds most of the smell.  That would also have the benefit of the diaper fluff being filtered out by the sanitary sewer before it causes too much environmental impact.

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Disposables don't decompose & contain a lot of plastic.  Effective incineration could deal with them, but is expensive & not available in most countries - Norway could be an exception, I wouldn't know.  I disagree with Dubious about there being no proof that disposables are worse for the environment than cloth: there appears to be plenty of evidence. This is the main reason I've switched to wearing cloth.

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19 hours ago, Firefly 35 said:

Disposable diapers in general are not very good for the environment.  What might help some is to empty the diaper fluff into the toilet and throw away the shell in the regular trash, since it is the fluff that holds most of the smell.  That would also have the benefit of the diaper fluff being filtered out by the sanitary sewer before it causes too much environmental impact.

Never throw any part of the diaper in the toilet

Its like asking for trouble as it will clog up

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1 hour ago, Dubious said:

Never throw any part of the diaper in the toilet

Its like asking for trouble as it will clog up

And it ends up in a landfill or river anyway

 

Really just looking to solve the plastic bag problem. Maybe i need to try paper bags and see how well they do.

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I have wondered for years about a way to dispose of used diapers.  I know that many rubber tires are ground up and burned for fuel in some industrial plants, the ones that can't be re-tredded.  Especially now with the cloth backed disposable diapers (and yes, I know between the outer and inner layers is a thin plastic layer), why doesn't anyone who has a wood burning furnace just burn them?  Turn them into fuel, help heat your house or barn and save them from the land fill.  True, not everyone who wears diapers can burn them for fuel, but it seems to me if they can burn other products including ground up rubber tires for fuel, why not used diapers?  The only thing I would be concerned about is if there are any products in the disposable diaper that could cause toxic fumes when burned (and no, I'm not talking about the obvious jokes about toxic fumes from the contents of your diapers!)

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52 minutes ago, rusty pins said:

I have wondered for years about a way to dispose of used diapers.  I know that many rubber tires are ground up and burned for fuel in some industrial plants, the ones that can't be re-tredded.  Especially now with the cloth backed disposable diapers (and yes, I know between the outer and inner layers is a thin plastic layer), why doesn't anyone who has a wood burning furnace just burn them?  Turn them into fuel, help heat your house or barn and save them from the land fill.  True, not everyone who wears diapers can burn them for fuel, but it seems to me if they can burn other products including ground up rubber tires for fuel, why not used diapers?  The only thing I would be concerned about is if there are any products in the disposable diaper that could cause toxic fumes when burned (and no, I'm not talking about the obvious jokes about toxic fumes from the contents of your diapers!)

Burning tires for fuel is done in industrial settings, and I’m not sure what systems need to be in place to accomplish that as the fumes from a burning tire are toxic. The energy is used to power equipment, typically, not to heat a space.

I imagine burning a wet diaper would require very high temperatures so dry and incinerate the SAP, and in addition to fumes, I believe the SAP would produce a lot of particulate matter. All the plastic (tapes) would not be eliminated but melted.

I doubt diapers can be safely burned inside a wood fireplace or stove indoors.

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We had a neighbor who had a special-needs child, and I am certain that they burned used diapers in their wood stove at home. That was the foulest-smelling smoke I've ever been exposed to; there's no doubt that they weren't getting anything like complete combustion. The whole idea was stupid anyway, because we live so close to a waste transfer station (the dump) that we can make the dump run with a wheelbarrow. I've actually done that once or twice.

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16 hours ago, rusty pins said:

I have wondered for years about a way to dispose of used diapers.  I know that many rubber tires are ground up and burned for fuel in some industrial plants, the ones that can't be re-tredded. Turn them into fuel, help heat your house or barn and save them from the land fill.  True, not everyone who wears diapers can burn them for fuel, but it seems to me if they can burn other products including ground up rubber tires for fuel, why not used diapers? 

Whoever figures out a good and environmentally safe way of getting rid of disposable diapers is going to be famous and possibly rich if their solution involves proprietary technology. The fuel problem comes down to fuel density or, put simply, energy input v.s output. Biomass (normally the stalks of harvested crops) make an excellent fuel source because they are made up of large carbon chains of molecules that have a lot of energy stored up in them that can be released. In addition, when you let them dry out, they burn at a pretty low temperature. On the other hand, to my knowledge, there isn't that much energy that can be released from a diaper, and plastics, unlike organics, have high melting points, so it take a lot of energy to break the bonds. I have read about a new strand of bacteria that can decompose plastics, so the biological route may be the solution.

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1 hour ago, Dubious said:

There is already many alternative ways to dispose of diapers, but the cheapest ways are to burn or landfill

The cheapest way is just to throw them over the nearest hedge. Cheapest for the individual that is, not cheapest for society or the future of the planet.  And that's true for burning & landfill too.

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I've seen a few episodes of Dirty Jobs where they do burn the contents of their toilets in an incinerator, plastic garbage bags and all.  More out in the wilderness where they don't have the convenience of flushing toilets and sewer pipes.  My thought is if you have a wood or coal burning furnace and you already have a roaring fire, could you toss in a couple diapers now and then over time to let them burn along with the coal or wood already in the furnace?  Sure, wet diapers may take longer to burn and maybe a little melted tapes might not compleatly burn, but look at how little might be left to go in the landfill instead of the entire diaper?  After all, the topic of this tread isn't about having a nearby landfill you can toss them in so they stay in there for a million years, but to find a way of getting rid of them so they don't lay in the landfills never to degrade.

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SAP's and pulp from used diapers can make a good amendment for some yard or garden soils but you can't use them like this for growing foodstuffs. And the cover will take quite some time to degrade so it can't be. in there. Cloth isn't the answer either as it is at least equally bad for the environment in growing and processing it. But this is nothing compared to a lot of what we're doing to ourselves with our garbage, so I'm not concerned about it. Of the total garbage footprint I'm leaving behind in my life this is not over 1%, and of toxic or poorly-degradable garbage this is still less than 5% with many other things being far more harmful.

When someone comes along purporting to want a 'green' world, ask them if they're prepared to go back to living like it was 1840, because any time after that had large amounts of pollution involved. And even earlier times had pollution involved from the making of metals which it's really tough to live without. If you're thinking about keeping some modern things then you're not thinking 'green' at all. We can do better and keep some modern things but almost nobody will want the inconveniences and costs which will go along with it. It's not that we shouldn't care or bother- it's just that we need to realize that we are dead-set on destroying humanity (and probably the Earth with us) and we're collectively not going to stop or even significantly slow that process down. Be responsible but enjoy the ever-lessening life you have because that's all you ca really do.

Bettypooh

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The day I get my own house/property, I'll be burning diapers after they have dried out in the shed and to hide the smell I'll make a compost near it

By doing this I also get a slightly cheaper trash bill

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6 hours ago, Bettypooh said:

SAP's and pulp from used diapers can make a good amendment for some yard or garden soils but you can't use them like this for growing foodstuffs. And the cover will take quite some time to degrade so it can't be. in there. Cloth isn't the answer either as it is at least equally bad for the environment in growing and processing it. But this is nothing compared to a lot of what we're doing to ourselves with our garbage, so I'm not concerned about it. Of the total garbage footprint I'm leaving behind in my life this is not over 1%, and of toxic or poorly-degradable garbage this is still less than 5% with many other things being far more harmful.

When someone comes along purporting to want a 'green' world, ask them if they're prepared to go back to living like it was 1840, because any time after that had large amounts of pollution involved. And even earlier times had pollution involved from the making of metals which it's really tough to live without. If you're thinking about keeping some modern things then you're not thinking 'green' at all. We can do better and keep some modern things but almost nobody will want the inconveniences and costs which will go along with it. It's not that we shouldn't care or bother- it's just that we need to realize that we are dead-set on destroying humanity (and probably the Earth with us) and we're collectively not going to stop or even significantly slow that process down. Be responsible but enjoy the ever-lessening life you have because that's all you ca really do.

Bettypooh

I don't think that's entirely true.  Most modern day processes can be done in a much healthier way - electricity can be generated via renewable sources and construction/manufacturing can be done more efficiently/with less waste, but only if people decide to do so instead of farming out tasks to countries with lower standards.  

On 3/14/2019 at 2:23 AM, Dubious said:

There is already many alternative ways to dispose of diapers, but the cheapest ways are to burn or landfill

That would release a lot of toxic fumes.  An airtight container of some sort would likely be the best option.

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We have done a lot as far as becoming more green.  We are not polluting with coal fired steam train engines, but the trade off now it is diesel and gas.  We are doing a lot better about recycling than 40 or 50 years ago, but it seems there ius always a trade off that counter acts the good we do.  We recycle, but we have also changed from paper grocery bags that will break down and degrade to plastic grocery bags that stay in the landfills.  Glass jars and bottles have turned into plastic bottles.  Even oil for your car that used to come in cardboard cans with metal tops are now plastic.  Yes, we can recycle them, but how many people recycle everything?  Many do, however many just throw everything away in their trash.  You can burn cardboard and paper (including grocery bags) or you can recycle them.  The thing is, if people don't recycle them, the cardboard and paper will degrade in the landfill while the plastic won't.  It's just too bad that someone doesn't find a way to recycle used disposable diapers.  I would say even if someone did and they had special recycling bins for used disposable diapers, all the AB/DL people wouldn't use them because they wouldn't want their friends and neighbors to see them at the curb on trash pick up day and know they were diaper wearers.  Still, it might help some for all the people who would toss the used baby diapers in the special recycling bins.  That's why I say, if there is any way you can burn the used disposables in your furnace along with your wood or coal, even just a few at a time, it would save them degrading in the land fill and actually help heat your house a little.

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Norway is gonna save the earth alone!  (Not joking...)

Cant remember when and if we have used coal, but diesel is banned for use in homes and is getting banned for use in personal vehicles

We have no tax on electric vehicles 

We recycle everything that can be recycled, rest get burned and turned into heat for homes

Plastic bags cost 0.23 USD each (tax), can buy a reusable bag for a dollar and some stores give you 0.12 USD for using that bag

I would use the special trash can for diapers, if it were in a public space open 24/7, just another reason to walk in the evening

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On 3/18/2019 at 11:35 AM, Dubious said:

Norway is gonna save the earth alone!  (Not joking...)

Cant remember when and if we have used coal, but diesel is banned for use in homes and is getting banned for use in personal vehicles

We have no tax on electric vehicles 

We recycle everything that can be recycled, rest get burned and turned into heat for homes

Plastic bags cost 0.23 USD each (tax), can buy a reusable bag for a dollar and some stores give you 0.12 USD for using that bag

I would use the special trash can for diapers, if it were in a public space open 24/7, just another reason to walk in the evening

Sounds like Norway really knows what they're doing.  Also isn't Norway known for having a ton of things paid by the gov't (healthcare, college, etc)?

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14 hours ago, Firefly 35 said:

Sounds like Norway really knows what they're doing.  Also isn't Norway known for having a ton of things paid by the gov't (healthcare, college, etc)?

When I go to the doctor I rarely have to pay more than $35 and sometimes its free and if you have lots of medical bills, the max you have to pay is about $300 a year

Hospital is completely free, no surprise cost as when you get picked up my ambulance you don't have to pay anything, I have had surgery and staid in hospital for 3 days, cost me 0

School is free up to and including college, free public bus if you live 3 km from school and you can even get stipend if your family has low income (grades don't matter), in college you have to pay for your own books and stuff

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Norway has got a lot more together than most countries in this area - I wish the UK would do the same.  The government doesn't pay for things though.  The Norwegian government doesn't operate as a commercial company, any more than other governments, as far as I know.  It just has a tax system that redistributes taxes in a way to encourage people to behave constructively and give them support when they need it.  The people pay, and they elect governments that they hope will run an effective tax system.  It's the people's money, not the government's.

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On 3/18/2019 at 11:35 AM, Dubious said:

Norway is gonna save the earth alone!  (Not joking...)

Cant remember when and if we have used coal, but diesel is banned for use in homes and is getting banned for use in personal vehicles

We have no tax on electric vehicles 

We recycle everything that can be recycled, rest get burned and turned into heat for homes

Plastic bags cost 0.23 USD each (tax), can buy a reusable bag for a dollar and some stores give you 0.12 USD for using that bag

I would use the special trash can for diapers, if it were in a public space open 24/7, just another reason to walk in the evening

I continually applaud Norway for leading the world in terms of environmental policy. The problem is that when you consider the United States, which is has 62 times the population of Norway, scalability of solutions becomes a major challenge. I like that Noway has found a way to transition to a green economy, but you simply cannot power the whole United States with hydro-power like you can Norway. The larger the country, the more complex the solutions are going to need to be to solve problems.

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15 hours ago, littleTomás said:

I continually applaud Norway for leading the world in terms of environmental policy. The problem is that when you consider the United States, which is has 62 times the population of Norway, scalability of solutions becomes a major challenge. I like that Noway has found a way to transition to a green economy, but you simply cannot power the whole United States with hydro-power like you can Norway. The larger the country, the more complex the solutions are going to need to be to solve problems.

The US has the resources to go green, heck even the oil/gas companies can re-model their buisiness to avoid going broke.  As for energy, hydropower would be good to suppliment other sources like wind and solar.  

If someone figured out how to use lightning as a viable energy source, our energy problems would be almost solved.  I'm surprised there hasn't been more research into this.

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Rumors says that Tesla (not the car guy) solved the energy problem decades ago, but that he got buried cause they wanted to make money and this is true for a lot of other stuff, like electric cars, which we already had 100 years ago, but vanished when they made the gas engine and they got buried in more recent years too, by the oil industry.

There is lots of money in electricity and oil and they would do about anything to make it so that they can make money from it, and that is why our technology is lagging behind 

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