Sustainable choices for plastic-free hygiene products
Once thrown away, disposable hygiene items such as diapers and sanitary pads can take hundreds of years to decompose because their absorbent parts and waterproof layers contain plastics and other synthetic polymers.
But researchers are now replacing these materials with porous components made from protein biomass that is often discarded by the food and agricultural industries. These components are sustainable and biodegradable and could potentially allow future diapers and sanitary pads to be flushed down a toilet or used as fertiliser.
For the full story, see the April 2024 edition of Medical Textiles.
Photo: Athanasios Latras/KTH Royal Institute of Technology