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The Diaper Cycle
DYCLE is a fundamentally new way of how baby diapers are to be produced, used and recycled, or rather upcycled, when they are no longer a waste but a nutrient for plants, transformed into fertile soil.
The project will create small communities of around 100 families each living in the same neighbourhood, meeting regularly at the diapers distribution/collection points, planting fruit trees together, living their lives in a more connected way. We believe that many people’s small change in everyday life can bring bigger changes afoot – strengthening communities from the bottom up.
Challenge
Disposable diapers are a known environmental hazard comprising up to 10% of household waste. Each child produces around 500kg of diaper waste in their first two and half years of life that translates into around 1400 litres of crude oil used for plastic components according to DYCLE’s estimations.
The CO2 and methane gas footprints are high. Just the diapers impact is 500kg of CO2 emissions per child, without taking into account transportation, packaging and other.
Solution
DYCLE supports parents who want to take a sustainable approach by using compostable diapers, through a diapers collection system and converting diapers waste into black soil, which will subsequently be used for growing trees and plants locally. As a diaper is full of baby waste, it contains excellent nutrients in a form of phosphates and nitrogen, and it degrades into hygienic and fertile black earth.
Harvest from the trees could be procured for baby food and juice production, thus closing the nutrients and materials cycle of baby diapers. DYCLE estimates that a 1000kg of black earth can be produced from one year’s supply of diapers from a single child.
Successfully Tested
DYCLE has already proved feasibility of diapers collection and soil production process with several pilot projects with more than 100 families attending for 1 to 4 weeks.
Get involved
If you are
- natural fiber producer (physical treated raw-fibers, non-food and renewable resources, home-compostable)
- a company with CSR programme interested to plant fruit trees
- tree planting professionals
- passionate person who wants to participate in our team in Berlin
We would like to hear from you hello(at)dycle.org (or use our contact form).
If you would like to be informed about news and future activities, please subscribe to our humusletter.
When do we start? How can I participate? Read our FAQ - Frequent questions and answers.
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