Tackling climate change one dirty nappy at a time

The company behind the UK's first nappy recycling facility has announced it is to partner with waste-to-energy firm Verus Energy to generate power from the waste processed at its planned West Midlands site.

Knowaste said it would use a bacteria-based process to break down the nappy and other sanitation waste collected at the facility to generate biogases such as methane. The gases will be captured and burned, generating energy that will help power the plant and be sold to the grid.

Roy Brown, president and chief executive of Knowaste, said: "We are delighted that within nine months of our doors opening next spring, as well as helping divert from landfill the 750,000 tonnes of nappy waste thrown away each year, we will also be generating renewable energy."

In another development, the plant – which is expected to come into operation from May 2010 – will also accept feminine hygiene waste, a market in the UK worth £298m a year.

Knowaste said the plant will feature two large autoclaves that will dry and sterilise the waste material, reducing its volume by 75 per cent. Further separation then enables 98 per cent of recyclable materials to be removed from the waste stream, leaving the organic waste to be processed to generate energy.

Knowaste said it is already looking at a site in South East England for a potential second facility.

Tim Baldwin, head of sustainable development at Advantage West Midlands – the regional development agency for the area – welcomed the planned development, arguing that the recognition of waste as "a valuable resource" would help to " create wealth, employment – and, of course, minimise our global impact on the environment".