Why It Matters | Using disposable diapers to make concrete? Premium

A major consequence of country’s rapidly increasing population is increasing housing demand and waste management.

Scientists have come up with a unique solution to incorporate disposable diapers into building materials to make it cost-effective and environment-friendly.  | Photo Credit: AP

What are the facts? Building materials all over the world are not only costly but also ecologically harmful and contribute highly to carbon emissions. A new paper published in the journal Nature has come up with a unique solution: to incorporate disposable diapers into building materials to render them cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The study, which focused on Indonesia, also reported that disposable diaper waste can contribute 10% to composite materials and 40% to non-structural and architectural components. A prototype house that was built allowed the researchers to determine that 1.73 cubic metres of disposable diaper waste could be required for a housing area of 36 sq. m.

What is the context?

• Indonesia, like many developing countries, has a rapidly growing urban population. A major consequence of this is increasing housing demand and waste management. 
• Indonesia also has a big gap between housing demand and supply.
• According to the study, the country faces a backlog of 300,000 housing units every year, with the demand being as high as 780,000 units.
• Stakeholders have thus far been able to supply 400,000-500,000 units every year.
• In 2020, the country also generated 32.76 million tonnes of waste.

Why does it matter?

• In Indonesia, concrete bricks, wood and ceramics continue to be the most used building materials, and their manufacture -- especially that of concrete -- contribute significantly to the country’s carbon emissions. 
• Even when builders use materials such as clay bricks and tiles, which are easily available, their carbon footprint remains high thanks to the embodied energy required to produce and transport the materials.
• The study noted that concrete made of disposable concrete is not only identical to conventional concrete in terms of its mechanical properties and microbial content but also produces “robust and durable materials” when manufactured properly. 
• Recycling disposable diapers as a component of concrete, instead of incinerating or co-firing them, could further shrink their carbon footprint.