When it comes to 3D printing, the sky is the limit. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, applications can be as far reaching as airplane and automobile parts to medical devices and even anatomically correct, biocompatible models. Although 3D printing technology is developing at a rapid pace, the technology itself is not new. It emerged in the 1980s as a means of creating rapid prototypes. In recent years the applications for 3D printed models have evolved with the available hardware, software, and printable materials. Evolving technology, paired with the creative and innovative minds of scientists, engineers, and physicians, has been the launching pad for developments within 3D printing technology specific to healthcare. One way 3D printing technology is poised to create better patient outcomes is in creating an anatomically and patient-specific models to aid in surgery and medical procedures. With the capability to 3D ...
TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based company that recovers useful materials from used chewing gum and cigarette butts, plans to launch its disposable diapers recycling program in September. Chrissy Kadleck of Waste & Recycling News reports that the company’s recycling process would yield “material suitable for plastic lumber, pallets, and outdoor furniture.”
In 2009, more than 3.8 million diapers were tossed into the municipal waste stream in the U.S. Disposable diapers contain various different kinds of materials, including polymers. These diapers are “the most complex waste stream known right now in the U.S.,” Ernie Simpson, TerraCycle's global vice president of research and development, told Waste & Recycling News.
He was tight-lipped about the details of the process but noted to Kadleck that it had elements of standard processes in the recycling industry. The main steps would include collecting the diapers, cutting them up into small pieces, using various sterilization methods, and separating out the various compostable and recyclable materials. “We are 90 percent of the way there with only a small portion of the process yet to be completed. I expect that will happen in the first quarter of 2012,” Simpson said.
The company is planning to collect diapers from daycare centers and from homes via odor- and contaminant-proof shipping containers.
Simpson told Kadleck that the company is also working on similar processes for collecting and recycling used feminine hygiene products. Simpson explained that the materials used to make feminine hygiene products and disposable diapers are chemically similar, and the sterilization process would address blood-borne pathogens.
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