Dirty Diapers Can Replace Construction Materials in Building Affordable Housing, Study Says

In some developing countries, appropriate and affordable housing availability remains challenging for many residents. Most of the time, this is due to an inadequate source of income, which limits a person's capability to build a house. However, the high cost of building materials also contributes to the problem. As much as the occupant wants to settle in a stable home, the need for good-quality materials must also be considered. This is because the chosen building materials are significant in establishing the house's structural integrity.

Because of this, there is a need to look for available building materials that are efficient and economical.

House of the Future Made with Dirty Diapers

Can dirty diapers be used as cheap and sustainable construction materials? According to a team of researchers, it is possible if they are sterilized and reused in concrete and mortar.

The team was led by Siswanti Zuraida and his colleagues from the University of Kitakyushu in Japan. They discovered that a portion of sand used in making concrete and mortar for a small house could be replaced with reused diapers.

Zuraida tested this first by using her own daughter's dirty diapers. After washing and disinfecting the diapers, they are left to cure for 28 days by drying them under the sun. Then they are manually shredded with scissors.

The researchers then applied the method to test its effectiveness in constructing houses. Six different sample building materials were created containing varying amounts of diapers. Then Zuraida and his colleagues tested the required quantity of diapers that needed to be added without affecting the strength of the material.

It was found that diapers can replace 8% of the sand used in making concrete and mortar in a house as small as 36 square meters. This also includes 27% of the sand used in building concrete columns and beams and 40% in constructing mortar for partition walls. All in all, a single house can utilize 60 cubic feet of used diapers from landfills.

Since diapers are a major source of plastic pollution, this method can potentially lessen the methane released by landfills. Methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Another problem this discovery can solve is a shortage of supply of sand brought on by urbanization and population growth.

The study is still in its early stage, so it will take longer to commercialize it. However, this discovery can potentially solve some of the major environmental challenges of waste pollution.

Since diapers are mainly composed of plastic and pulp, recycling them is like rehashing plastic bottles to be downcycled into fibers. A unique characteristic of diapers is that they are composed of superabsorbent polymer fibers. This property is an advantage in giving self-healing quality to concrete materials. Since the fibers can absorb moisture, they can reduce cracking in concretes.

Worsening Problem of Diaper Pollution

Since the creation of disposable diaper in 1948, it has become a convenient solution for parents in managing their baby's feces. Synthetic diapers were produced n the 1960s and have gained popularity until now.

As years pass, improper management of disposable diapers becomes a global health issue because it is related to the accumulation of pathogens and non-biodegradable material. Compared to reusable cloth, diapers use more than 20 times the raw materials, create 60 times the solid waste, and require 2.3 times more water. In addition to this alarming data, it was also found that 80% of households with children are using disposable diapers.

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