A method for separating plastic and cellulose from post-consumer absorbent sanitary products, comprising: sterilizing successive batches of post-consumer absorbent sanitary products in at least one rotary autoclave, shredding the sterilized absorbent sanitary products and obtaining sterilized and shredded material containing plastic and cellulose, 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.

The present invention relates to a method for treatment of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) containing post-consumer product, the method comprising contacting a post-consumer product with a polypeptide that can catalyze degradation of the PHA, the contact taking place at a temperature at least 45? C. In a specific embodiment, the poly peptide is a wild-type PHA depolymerase expressed by a thermophilic microorganism or a modified PHA depolymerase that includes one or more single-site mutations as compared to the wild-type PHA depolymerase. In another specific embodiment, the polypeptide comprising a modified poly hydroxy butyrate (PHB) depolymerase comprising one or more single-site mutations as compared to SEQ ID NO: 1, and the modified PHB depolymerase having an optimum temperature of at least 45? C. The present invention also relates to a host cell transformed to express a polypeptide that catalyzes degradation of a PHA, the polypeptide having an optimum temperature for the degradation reaction of at least 45? C., wherein the host cell is selected from an E. coli cell or a thermophilic microorganism.

A hygienic disposal device for sanitary waste includes a supporting structure frame for mounting one or more components, including an opening lid hingedly connected to a hopper equipped with spray nozzles for disinfectant solution and water spraying. A shredder is connected to the hopper for shredding the waste, followed by a mixing chamber for homogenously mixing shredded waste with water. Valves at the bottom of the mixing chamber separate cellulose and plastic waste. Two rotating drums dewater and dry the separated waste, while a dryer blows hot air for further drying. An outlet discharges separated water into municipal sewage lines.

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

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.

An absorptive article quick decomposition system and operating method thereof is provided. 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 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.

The present invention relates to an equipment in the field of hygiene article manufacturing, in particular to a hygiene article recycling unit for disintegrating and separating hygiene articles allowing to separate raw materials at a purity allowing to directly use it in the manufacturing process of the hygiene articles. The recycling unit comprised several devices as sub-units. The present invention further relates to a process for operating such an equipment.

The present invention relates to a method for treatment of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) containing post-consumer product, the method comprising contacting a post-consumer product with a polypeptide that can catalyze degradation of the PHA, the contact taking place at a temperature at least 45 C. In a specific embodiment, the poly peptide is a wild-type PHA depolymerase expressed by a thermophilic microorganism or a modified PHA depolymerase that includes one or more single-site mutations as compared to the wild-type PHA depolymerase. In another specific embodiment, the polypeptide comprising a modified poly hydroxy butyrate (PHB) depolymerase comprising one or more single-site mutations as compared to SEQ ID NO: 1, and the modified PHB depolymerase having an optimum temperature of at least 45 C. The present invention also relates to a host cell transformed to express a polypeptide that catalyzes degradation of a PHA, the polypeptide having an optimum temperature for the degradation reaction of at least 45 C., wherein the host cell is selected from an E. coli cell or a thermophilic microorganism.

Superabsorbent fiber (SAF) in a feed stream is converted into soluble polymers in an extensional flow device. The total energy used to degrade the SAF into soluble polymers is less than about 50 MJ/kg SAF.

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.