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 ...
Some people may be diligent recyclers of printer paper, aluminum cans, and glass bottles. But why just stop there? As a Newsworks.org story explains, a New Jersey company is looking to give polymers in disposable dirty diapers a second chance.
TerraCycle, a company headquartered in Trenton, has always been interested in breathing new life into items people normally regard as trash. Disposable diapers are an excellent example. Did you know that in 2009, Americans threw away more than 3.8 million tons of them into municipal waste streams? So TerraCycle is pondering the question: What new tricks can a dirty diaper be taught?
TerraCycle isn’t the first to launch on this quest. In the early 1990s,  Proctor & Gamble abandoned a pilot program in Seattle because it wasn’t worth the money and effort. A small program in California backed by U.K.-based recycling company Knowaste didn’t get past the pilot stage. But Knowaste is now setting up a diaper recycling plant in the U.K. and calls itself “the pioneer of the world’s first cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution to meet the worldwide challenge of nappy, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene product waste.”
But TerraCycle has new ideas for the process on this side of the Atlantic. Carolyn Beeler interviewed Ernie Simpson, head of research and development at TerraCycle, who explained that the first hurdle is collecting the dirty diapers. Simpson told Beeler that the company excels at collections. When the diapers reach a recycling facility, the second hurdle rises. What to do with the poo?
Terracycle plans on chopping up the diapers and dumping chemicals on them to kill all bacteria from the feces. Next, as any chemist would appreciate, comes the separation step. Beeler explains:
For step three, the absorbent stuff–paper pulp and ‘super-absorber’ polymers–would be separated from the diaper’s plastic outer covering using an agitator and a series of screens. The plastic would be recycled into things such as paving tiles and fence posts, and the paper pulp would be collected to mix in with recycled plastics. The combination of the biocide and high processing temperatures should get rid of any lingering organic material in the plastic, Simpson said. ‘You’re not going to be standing out there by a fence post and it smells of poop,’ Simpson said, laughing.
TerraCycle employees acknowledge that convincing person to use materials made from recycled diapers may be an uphill battle but it’s a battle not yet ready for fighting. First, they have to get the recycling steps down pat. As Beeler explains:
Simpson has tested parts of the process in small batches, and he is currently working with a recycling facility in northeastern Pennsylvania to see if the methods can be scaled up. The company has not yet done an environmental analysis to look at whether the energy it takes to ship, sterilize and repurpose the diapers will still make the process worth it.
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