Houses of the future could be made from diapers

We all already know the importance of the three Rs: Reduce, reuse and recycle. We must reduce the amount of waste, reuse it as much as possible and, if this is not possible, recycle those that allow it. There are disposable products such as diapers; which, logically, cannot be reused at home. And almost never recycled. Or, at least, it has not been possible to do so until now, because a group of scientists from Kitakyushu Universityin Japan managed to use them to build houses.

In particular, they managed to replace part sand which is used to prepare specific for mixture shredded disposable diapers. And washes too, of course. This is a double benefit. On the one hand, a product is being processed, which is 900,000 tons of waste per year. And, on the other hand, the cost of housing construction is reduced.

These scientists tested their blend of crushed diapers in Indonesiacomparing the resistance of structures with structures developed in the same country with regular concrete. There are almost no differences, so if research continues, this could be a very useful resource in the future.

Diapers for making concrete

Concrete is prepared on the basis cement, sand and gravel. Sand may seem like an abundance, but sometimes it’s hard to get enough of it and transport it to certain places. In addition, this increases the cost of concrete. So, these scientists tried to replace some of this filler with crushed diaper mixture and then dry this mixture for 28 days.

They conducted stability tests in various scenarios and by gradually varying the amount of sand, they found the ideal amount of diapers to keep buildings safe. So they saw that diapers could replace 10% sand from concrete used to make columns and beams in a three-story house. On the other hand, if the house had only one floor, the percentage could increase to 27%

On the other hand, in the dividing walls 40% sand, and in the floors and paving stones of gardens 9%.

together, before 8% sand concrete used for house plant from 37 square meters Wrinkled diapers can be replaced.

Teamwork

Diapers are mainly made from wood pulp, cotton, viscose and plastics such as polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene. They are difficult to recycle, but these scientists are confident in their idea to make it easier.

However, it does not depend only on them. Now that they have shown that this is possible, they will need the cooperation of governments and recycling companies to set up factories to collect, wash and disinfect diapers, as well as handle them afterwards.

Except legislation the countries in which these buildings are to be built should be changed to include this new material. It takes many steps to bring this to life. But without a doubt, it would be a great option. It’s not about going back to the old washable diapers, much more uncomfortable for parents of babies who hardly have time to keep them always clean. It is much more convenient to use disposable diapers, but it is important to see what you can do with them later. And this is the most interesting idea.