According to a study, adult incontinence products pose a far greater waste problem than baby diapers

According to a study, adult incontinence products pose a far greater waste problem than baby diapers

Joint research has found that adult incontinence products are a far bigger waste problem than baby diapers, and with an aging population the situation is set to get worse over the next decade.

A study involving the University of Queensland and Southern Cross University has found that waste from adult incontinence products will be four to ten times greater than that from infant diapers by 2030, and researchers are calling for a multi-pronged approach to better waste management.

Co-authorProfessor Kate O’Brien from UQ’sThe School of Chemical Engineering has been studying the environmental life cycle of baby diapers for more than a decade.

There is much debate about the environmental impact of baby diapers, but our study shows that absorbent adult hygiene products are a larger and faster-growing waste problem.

This study is about opening the discussion about how we can better manage waste and consider other solutions for the future.”

Professor Kate O’Brien, UQ Department of Chemical Engineering

In Australia, most used disposable diapers are sent to landfill, creating greenhouse gases and leachate emissions.

The research found that waste from baby diapers is likely to remain constant over the next decade, but waste from adult products will increase.

Lead author and environmental engineer from Southern Cross University, Dr. Emma Thompson Brewster said that while more absorbent hygiene product (AHP) brands in Australia were showcasing eco-friendly marketing, everyone was avoiding the elephant in the room.

“The burden on parents to choose the ‘best’ diaper product for their infants places unnecessary stress on many Australian parents while they are already suffering from the many stresses that come with raising young children,” Dr. Thompson Brewster.

“Used adult absorbent hygiene products receive far less public attention, but have comparable or greater impacts on the health of our community, the environment and taxpayers.

“This is due to the country’s aging population and associated age-related health problems.

“While our expertise lies on the waste management side of the issue, the trend highlights the highly stigmatized problem of incontinence in the over-65 population, for whom there may be better solutions linked to improved access to medical treatment such as physiotherapy.”

The study recommends reducing the stigma of adult incontinence and improving access to health services, creating affordable and accessible biodegradable AHP products for infants and adults, and designing policies, systems and infrastructure to divert used AHP waste from landfill into resource recovery processes to redirect.

The research is published inWaste management.

Source:

The University of Queensland

Reference:

Brewster, EP, et al. (2022) Adult incontinence products represent a larger and faster growing waste problem in Australia than disposable infant diapers. Waste management. doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2022.07.038.

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