Life cycle and end-of-life waste management of disposable diapers: a mini-review

Abstract

Waste management is a crucial priority issue for all countries in this environmentally conscious era. Proper waste management of disposable diapers is one of the issues at the forefront. The unprecedented growth of the world urban population has left many cities grappling with disposable diapers clogging landfills. It is a problematic issue that if not mitigated could overburden existing waste management systems. This mini-review article aims to critically review relevant life cycle assessment studies (LCA) on single-use disposable diapers and the environmental impact incurred at each stage of its life cycle. Different technical and non-technical disposable diaper waste management approaches have been explored in literature, but studies directed towards pyrolysis conversion of disposable diapers post-consumer waste are notably very scarce. The review further examines the potential of pyrolysis as an end-of-life waste management option for disposable diapers. Finally, this study highlights gaps in the literature and recommends the scope for future research.