Unicharm announced on December 9, 2025, that it had begun developing a dry-washing process for recycling used disposable diapers with FujiClean in Ayagawa Town, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. Drawing on dry-cleaning methods, the process combines a reusable solvent with the company's sterilisation and bleaching technology. Unicharm aims to reduce water use to about one-fiftieth of its existing water-based washing process. It says the approach could support recycling in water-scarce regions and expansion overseas.
The partners will also develop a local collection system, with FujiClean responsible for collecting used diapers. Their schedule calls for technical development in an experimental building at FujiClean's premises during 2026, construction of a recycling plant in 2028, and the start of plant operations and formal collection from nearby municipalities in 2029. These are planned stages of the development project. Unicharm places the work within its RefF recycling programme, which began in 2010 and includes recovery of pulp, plastics and superabsorbent polymer from used diapers.