I'm not entirely sure what to say about this concept, introduced by Dutch design firm Qenep in the new book SuperUse. Basically, those little absorbent gel beads in disposable diapers can, once saturated, be repurposed as plant fertilizer. I can only assume, based on my personal observation, that ordinary lawn grass doesn't benefit from the high dose of nitrogen like other plants might. Please don't ask me for details.
The idea of using nitrogen-rich urine as a fertilizer isn't totally off the wall, there's a ton of information out there about it. It's interesting, and I'm almost sorry that we're about to say goodbye to diapers forever around here, because we're big gardeners. Incidentally, if you use washable menstrual pads you can also soak them, then use the nutrient-rich soaking water on your plants. And now nobody's ever going to eat anything out of my garden, are they?
After hearing about the downside of recycling disposable diapers outright, a concept that's been tested in a few areas, it does seem like there might be some possibilities here. But in a country that can barely handle the idea of babies breastfeeding in public, I seriously doubt it's going to take off.
(via Daddytypes)
