Improving the fate of Absorbent Hygiene Product (AHP) waste via the identification of suitable end markets for recycled cellulosic fibres and the introduction of fibre cleaning techniques.

2011年，Knowaste在西布罗姆维奇开设了一家创新的处理设施，成为英国第一家回收吸收性卫生产品（ahp）的公司。当达到全面运行时，该工厂每年将能够处理3.6万吨商业衍生的ahp废物。ahp包括一次性尿布，成人失禁产品和女性卫生产品。ahp是为舒适和保护而设计的，由几种材料组成——吸收水分的纤维，保持水分的高吸水性聚合物（SAP），以及保持用户干燥和安全的塑料膜和标签。Knowaste的专利工艺允许分离这些成分材料准备回收，提供显著的可持续性优势比目前采用的处理方法-土地填埋。虽然产品可以焚烧，但高水分含量使ahp成为这种处置方法的不良原料（需要脱水预处理）。在英国每年产生的120万吨AHP废物中，约有75万吨来自国内（包括NHS）部门。Knowaste希望在区域基础上扩大，以容纳这些物料流，并处理更多的商业废物。为了使扩建计划具有商业意义，并将对环境的影响降到最低，必须为进入的废物规划当地市场，以避免材料的过度运输。还必须确定公司纤维素纤维回收的本地和高价值出口。然后可以推断出新工厂的最佳地理位置。这个市场证明项目将解决这些问题。

In 2011, Knowaste became the UK's first company to recycle absorbent hygiene products(AHPs) when it opened an innovative treatment facility in West Bromwich. When full-scaleoperation is reached, the plant will be able to handle 36k tons of commercially derived wasteAHPs per year.AHPs include disposable nappies, adult incontinence products and feminine hygiene products.Designed for comfort and protection, AHPs consist of several materials - fibres to absorbmoisture, super absorbent polymers (SAP) to retain moisture and plastic membranes and tabsto keep the user dry and secure.Knowaste's patented processes allow for the separation of these constituent materials inpreparation for recycling, offering significant sustainability advantages over the currentlyemployed method for disposal - land filling. Although the products can be incinerated, thehigh moisture content makes AHPs an undesirable feedstock for this disposal method (dewateringpre-treatments would be required).Around 750k tons of the UK's 1.2 million tons of AHP waste generated yearly, comes fromthe domestic (including NHS) sector. Knowaste wishes to expand on a regional basis toaccommodate this material stream as well as handling a greater volume of commercial waste.For the expansion programme to make commercial sense and have minimal environmentalimpact, local markets for incoming waste must be mapped to avoid excess transportation ofmaterials. Local and high value outlets for the company's cellulosic fibre recyclate must alsobe identified. Optimal geographical locations for new plants can then be deduced. This proofof market project will address these issues.