Recycling of Absorbent Hygienic Products (AHP)

By 2041 the ageing population is set to double in volume which also means increase in the resulting waste. Currently our estimated CO2 emissions for incontinence waste (4 tonnes per week) based on our current waste volumes is 95,000kg CO2 pa. Our current waste transport emissions are 5,000-7,000 kg CO2 pa. Recycling and recovering would deliver a significant reduction in CO2 and generate a valuable new revenue stream reducing the reliance on our planet's raw materials. LES want to deliver a circular economy of Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHP) for incontinence, feminine hygiene, non-infectious hospital waste and nappies. The innovation aims to reduce and recover the volume of waste going to landfill and incineration, whilst reducing carbon footprint. If this waste could be successfully removed from the residual waste stream and recycled, this could: * make a significant positive contribution to overall recycling and landfill rates * deliver a low energy recycling solution * reduce the amount of biodegradable waste going to landfill. (89% of an average used nappy is biodegradable) * reduce hospital waste - LES aim to recycle and recover AHP from NHS trusts, delivering environmental and commercial savings to the tax-payer * reuse materials - LES anticipate the full recovery of raw materials to be reused in manufacturing, delivering a sustainable solution. Our aspiration is for the materials to be reused in AHP production (currently unsustainable wood fluff pulp and plastics) * reprocess materials - based on our research and a European study on the fibre market we have identified established uses for reclaimed fibre and plastics, including plastic pellets, roof tiles, trunking, AHP containers, bollards Project proposal is to assess the feasibility of applying two forms of BML technology to AHP waste in two stages: **Stage 1** Reduce its mass by more than 75% **Stage 2** Reclaim remainder for reusable constituent parts A winning partnership; * Pilot customer - 30 years of experience handling AHP waste * BML - over 40 years experience innovating, developing and optimising reclamation technologies * **Primary Theme**: Enhancing The Benefits And Value Of Our Natural Resources - will contribute to the UK government objective of being a Zero Avoidable Waste economy by 2050\. * **Secondary Theme**: Innovating For A More Sustainable Public Sector - will reduce the carbon footprint of the NHS - 'The NHS is responsible for around a third of public sector carbon emissions'