The present invention relates to a method for degradation of a plastic-containing waste further comprising cellulosic, plant and/or animal waste, the method comprising mixing the plastic-containing waste with a composition comprising bacteria in the presence of air wherein the plastic containing waste is filled to a predetermined level in a digesting apparatus comprising of an elongated tank having one or more rotating mixing shafts provided with radially extending agitating blades fixed to the shafts, wherein the plastic containing waste has a surface-to-volume ratio of at least 1.1 when the digesting apparatus is filled to the predetermined level, whereby the surface area is the surface area in m.sup.2 of the filled plastic containing waste to air interface, and the volume is the volume of the plastic containing waste in m.sup.3.

A dewatering apparatus having a size reduction portion adapted to reduce the size of one or more items to be dewatered, and a separation portion in fluid communication with the size reduction portion, the separation portion adapted to substantially separate the liquid and solid components of the one or more items.

A method for separating a fraction of super-absorbent polymers (SAP) from post-consumer absorbent sanitary products, said post-consumer absorbent sanitary products further including at least one cellulose fraction and one plastic fraction. The method includes the steps of sterilizing the post-consumer absorbent sanitary products and treating said post-consumer absorbent sanitary products by immersion in a bath with an aqueous solution containing at least one oxidizing compound. The oxidizing compound is preferably selected from the group consisting of sodium persulfate, potassium persulfate, ammonium persulfate, potassium monopersulfate, and hydrogen peroxide; preferably hydrogen peroxide. The treatment by immersion allows cross-link cleavage and solubilizing of the SAP contained in said post-consumer absorbent sanitary products, and obtaining a suspension comprising i) a solid fraction and ii) a liquid fraction, wherein the liquid fraction comprises linear polyacrylate derived from the cross-link cleavage and solubilization of SAP.

The present invention provides a fiber raw material processing system and its operation method. The fiber raw material processing system is composed of a cutting module, a bulk pulping module, a salt slurry processing module, a pressure screen, a separation module, an inclined screen module, and an extrusion module and a recycling module, which are connected in series. The operating method of the fiber raw material processing system is to process absorptive articles such as diapers or sanitary napkins, etc., which are retained and made into fluff fiber raw materials through the purification and separation steps performed by the modules of the fiber raw material processing system.

The present invention discloses an absorptive article quick decomposition system and operating method thereof. The absorptive article quick decomposition system is mainly constructed by a cutting separating module, a liquid proof reclaimed material filtering module, a recycling module, a salt slurry processing module, a plastic raw material manufacturing module, a hygroscopic raw material manufacturing module, and a fluff fiber raw material manufacturing module. The absorptive article quick decomposition system and operating method of the embodiment of the present invention make the recycled absorbent articles become possible to be decomposed into plastic raw materials, hygroscopic raw materials and fluff fiber raw materials. In addition, organic pollutants on absorbent articles are decomposed. The purified and treated water thus recovered and the recycling is realized for good.

A method for sterilizing and decontaminating post-consumer absorbent products polluted with organic compounds derived from human metabolism including drug residues, the post-consumer absorbent sanitary products comprising fractions of plastic, super-absorbent polymers (SAP), and optionally cellulose, the method including at least the steps of: sterilizing (SR) the absorbent sanitary post-consumer products by heating to a temperature equal to or less than 140° C., and to a pressure lower than 4 bar, decontaminating (DC) the post-consumer absorbent sanitary products of organic compounds by treating with an oxidizing composition comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate, potassium percarbonate, sodium perborate, potassium perborate, potassium monopersulfate, ammonium persulfate, sodium persulfate, potassium persulfate, and ozone. The at least one compound is contained in the oxidizing composition in an amount equal to or greater than 2% by weight with respect to the dry weight of the post-consumer absorbent sanitary products.

The invention discloses a safe, cost effective, portable, eco-friendly sanitary pads disposing device and system. The device is smart and automatic used for shredding and disinfecting the used sanitary pads without any environmental pollution. The system comprises of plurality of collection bins, sanitary pad disposal device, a data acquisition module, a remote server, a data transmission module etc. for remotely monitoring the status of each disposal process.

A method of recycling superabsorbent polymers derived from a used absorbent article, the method including: treating the superabsorbent polymers with ozone water after inactivation; reactivating, with an alkaline aqueous solution, the superabsorbent polymers treated with the ozone water; and adding hydrophilic fine particles to the superabsorbent polymers reactivated with the alkaline aqueous solution and then drying the superabsorbent polymers.

A method is disclosed for separating plastic and cellulose from post-consumer absorbent sanitary products. The method includes sterilizing successive batches of post-consumer absorbent sanitary products in at least one rotary autoclave. The method further includes shredding the sterilized absorbent sanitary products and obtaining sterilized and shredded material containing plastic and cellulose. The method further includes drying the sterilized and shredded material containing plastic and cellulose, and separating cellulose from plastic from said sterilized, shredded and dried material in at least one centrifugal separator.

Provided is a used paper diaper processing apparatus in which a water absorption function of a superabsorbent polymer that absorbs water contained in excrement is lowered and water is removed by mixing the superabsorbent polymer and a chemical containing divalent metal ions in an outer tank, and in which weight is reduced by dehydration after an amount of water contained in a used paper diaper is lowered. In the apparatus, a lower portion of the outer tank can be opened and closed, so that weight reduction processing and a series of operations including taking-out are possible. Since an operator is not required to take out the used paper diaper after processing directly from the outer tank, it is possible to reduce work and hygiene burdens on the operator.