An article published on September 10, 2026, by the Dutch waste-industry association Vereniging Afvalbedrijven profiles ARN's recycling of used baby diapers and incontinence products in Weurt. It describes treatment at high temperature and pressure, followed by plastic recovery, washing, drying and granulation. The organic fraction yields green gas and liquid carbon dioxide, while residual water becomes process water.
ARN's first reactor started in 2019 and two more were added in 2021, bringing annual capacity to approximately 15,000 tonnes from early 2022. Director Jacob Vermeulen explains that expansion required changes to the original technical design and coordination with municipalities, care organisations, recycled-plastic buyers and permitting authorities.
The operation uses existing staff, logistics and steam from the site's waste-to-energy plant. Vermeulen identifies unstable policy, lengthy permits and weak plastics markets as risks to further investment. He sees room for additional regional facilities, while stressing that producer-responsibility funding also needs agreements on product design and materials to improve recyclability.