The UK’s first in-store signage is made from recycled diapers by Asda and Pura.

Asda and Pura, an eco-friendly baby brand, have joined forces to produce the first in-store signage in the United Kingdom to be made out of recycled nappies. This is part of an effort to combat the issue of plastic waste.

The signage will replace the plastic shelving that was previously used on the shelves at 320 different stores that sell Pura products.

It is estimated that the production of the signage required the recycling of the equivalent of 7,220 used diapers, with each sign requiring around seven nappies. When the diapers have been shredded, washed, and dried, the next step in the process is to turn them into pellets. These pellets are then mixed with other raw materials and formed into boards. The cellulose fibre in the Asda boards comes from different responsible sources, while the recycled diaper fibre accounts for 56% of the total.

Following the commencement of England’s first nappy recycling trial in Bristol by Pura, which was funded by Asda, the initiative to produce less plastic in stores has been initiated. As a result of the study, tens of thousands of diapers were diverted from landfills and converted into useful materials, such as road surfaces, notice boards, panelling, insulation under laminate flooring and other insulation, as well as the new in-store signage. These products include:

Shelf of Pura
As a result of Pura’s collaboration with NappiCycle, the equivalent of forty million old diapers are diverted from landfills on a yearly basis and converted into useful products, such as the in-store signage. When the signs have reached the end of their useful life on the shelf, they can be reintroduced into the process of recycling diapers, where all of the fibre and other components can be recovered and repurposed once more.

“We hope that the POS material will help spread awareness of the benefits of nappy recycling which can prevent millions of tonnes of valuable resource from nappies, hygiene products, and period products from ending up in landfill or being incinerated,” said Pura’s Director of Sustainability Matt Moreland. “Nappy recycling can prevent millions of tonnes of valuable resource from nappies, hygiene products, and period products from ending up in landfill or being incinerated.”

Jessica Carrol, who is in charge of the purchasing of diapers at Asda, stated that the company is eager to collaborate with Pura on this endeavour because “we realise how vital it is to our customers that we limit the quantity of plastic that we use.” We will continue to look into new ways that we can make use of diaper recycling, and we will keep working with all of our suppliers to find ways that we can reduce the amount of plastic that we use.

GSN