BASF announced on December 11, 2025 that it had worked with Essity and TU Wien on a pilot for converting used diapers and other absorbent hygiene products into feedstock for chemical production.
According to BASF, gasification produced a mixture containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The approach could recover chemical feedstock from a waste stream containing absorbent polymers, fibres and plastics. Adult incontinence products are among the hygiene applications relevant to this work.
The announcement reports a pilot and potential future applications. It does not establish that a commercial municipal collection and treatment service is operating, or provide an independent comparison of its full life-cycle environmental impacts. Germany, Sweden and Austria are the locations of the partner organisations; they should not all be read as confirmed pilot locations.