Across aged care homes in Australia, an overwhelming issue is arising with the accumulation of absorbent, single-use products needed to assist residents with bladder and bowel control. The manager of an Arcare facility in Melbourne’s east, Aksh Bhola, admits that the volume of incontinence waste produced is a perpetual challenge, with the center requiring continuous waste collection. This issue is prevalent throughout nursing homes across the country and contributes to a waste stream far more substantial than disposable nappies. In fact, incontinence products alone generate an estimated 148,000 tonnes of waste annually, equivalent to 3,700 humpback whales, or nearly three Sydney Harbour Bridges. As the ageing population in Australia continues to grow, this figure is expected to increase. At least 77% of individuals in residential aged care facilities experience incontinence, and one in four women will experience incontinence at some stage in their life.
There are several types of products available for incontinence, from panty liners to pull-up trunks, which differ in weight and material, and managing this waste is complicated. Some individuals experience urinary incontinence, some faecal incontinence, and others have both. Environmental problems aside, managing the disposal of such products is also challenging due to their complex nature. In hospitals and care facilities, pads are changed at specific times, adding to the amount of waste produced. While reusable options have appeared as an alternative to single-use pads, they are not a viable solution for everyone. Therefore, considering ways to manage single-use pads is highly relevant.
Project Divert, launched in February and funded by the Australian government, is a waste management trial focused on incontinence products. The program employs pyrolysis technology, which involves heating waste materials without oxygen to produce a biochar, a product that may have numerous commercial uses. This process is more cost-effective and versatile than composting, which often involves removing plastic and sometimes faeces and urine. This trial aims to determine whether the pyrolysis process can be commercially viable. Although the trial is currently for commercial operations, there are hopes that this technology can also be made accessible for household incontinence waste.