‘Horizontally’ recycled nappies go on sale in Japan in world first

Product made from used nappies will go on sale in shopping centres after sterilisation, bleaching, and deodorising

A company in Japan has started selling the world’s first “horizontally” recycled nappies, as the country’s ageing society undergoes a shift in demand for children’s diapers to those for older adults.

Unicharm, based in the south-western prefecture of Kagoshima, put the adult and baby nappies on sale this month in shopping centres in Kyushu – one of Japan’s four main islands – in collaboration with local governments, the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reported.