In Gironde, nurseries are testing 100% compostable nappies

What parent of a toddler hasn’t stood horrified one day in front of the family trash can, seeing the heap of diapers piled up in a day for just one toddler (let’s not even talk about twins)? Unless we have opted for washable nappies (which “fit” in France between 2% and 3% of children, i.e. between 50,000 and 70,000 babies), we have all had a moment of guilt in front of these kilos of waste that we non-recyclable soaps.

And for good reason. At the risk of rubbing salt in the wound, let’s recall a few figures: a baby wears between 3,800 and 4,800 nappies, which for a single child represents almost a ton of waste. In France, three billion disposable diapers are marketed each year, producing an average of 750,000 tons of waste. Waste that will then be buried or incinerated.

The Planetoscope site reminds us that it takes 500 years for a layer to degrade. As for the products used for manufacturing, nothing to celebrate: “If their exact composition is rarely detailed, explains the site, we know that a disposable diaper is most often composed of a sheet coming into contact with the skin, a cellulose core filled with absorbent gel (sodium polyacrylate) and an impermeable outer part made of polyethylene or polypropylene : to make the plastic of a disposable diaper you need a cup of petroleum” . Products that are not good for the planet or for the cherubs’ buttocks!

Faced with this sad record, several French start-ups have embarked on the design of fully compostable nappies. Among them, we can cite Les Alchimistes in Lyon and Mundao, a Bordeaux-based company that specializes in industrially compostable single-use sanitary textiles.

Started in 2018, Mundao’s research was long but the product was presented at the Pollutec show, a benchmark event for environmental solutions, in October 2021 at Eurexpo Lyon.

“The diaper is a complex product, confirms Stéphanie Mazet, co-founder of Mundao. We searched for materials alternative, industrially compostable, or biosourced [le terme désigne un matériau entièrement ou partiellement fabriqué à partir de matières d’origine biologique, NDLR]either from renewable materials such as wood, cellulose, corn starch or sugar cane.” Choosing the right materials is important because for the diaper to become compostable waste, it must be eco-designed to produce good quality compost.

Since the beginning of the year, Popotine – this is the small name of this compostable diaper – has been tested in the municipal nurseries of Bordeaux, Libourne and Saint-André-de-Cubzac. It seems to give good results, namely no allergy problems, irritation of the buttocks (less ointment in perspective!) and a certain comfort (on this point, however, the opinion of the first concerned would be needed…) .

Once thrown away, the Bordeaux association Les Détritivores is responsible for collecting the used nappies and the LibRT management in Libourne. They are then mixed with plant waste. We are talking about industrial composting, on large volumes, nothing to do with the family composter on the balcony or at the bottom of the garden.

The degradation conditions are very controlled: the humidity and the rise in temperature are monitored and the compost is regularly turned over. This stage will last from three to six months “to guarantee correct hygienization, i.e. the absence of pathogens”. This compost will be analyzed by a certified design office. Pending this validation, it will be used for backfilling or in green spaces.

The question now is when individuals will be able to buy these compostable nappies? “We want to test the model and also make parents want to continue at home with a more ecological and compostable diaper”, explained Stéphanie Mazet, in an interview with 20 Minutes in September 2021. We also have to find how to collect them. “There could be collective watertight supply points”.

Dear parents, a little patience: after the experimental phase, these diapers should be available for purchase on an online platform.