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The Happy Guy
Happiness Is ... Recycling Dirty Diapers
By David Leonhardt
As the father of a toddler, I am an expert on dirty diapers. I know exactly what to do with them: throw them out!
But along comes a New York waste company and a town in California who want me to do something else with my dirty diapers. Like cover my roof with them. Or walk on them. Or build a doghouse with them, perhaps.
Does this sound nuts? Well, it's not. In fact, this project just won the world's top happiness award: the 2003 Happy Guy Award.
A few months ago, we lived in a "vertical community." When my Little Lady was born, we wanted to expand our home to make room for her. Our neighbors below objected to us digging a basement. A front porch would have blocked the hall. So we opted to move out to the country, and with that move we had to sacrifice the diaper service and any environmental high ground we could claim.
Yes, we became what we had always wanted to avoid being: diaper-dumpers.
If you've never had children, you may not realize how much a little child can dispose of. In olden days, a couple would have a dozen kids, give or take a few. They had enough room back then. In these modern times of disposable diapers, that just is not possible – the diapers from the first child take up more place on this planet than several dozen siblings would.
So now we have the town of Santa Clarita and Knowaste Inc. proposing to recycle dirty diapers. Sure, you think, just mix them all together, throw in a bit of water, steam them clean and slap them back on the baby. Baby proudly shows off his recycled diapers to all his cooing relations. Not quite. Ironically, the only product that does not seem to be on the list of end uses is new diapers. Roofing shingles, sure. Shoe insoles, yes. Maybe even a workbench or a car panel. But not diapers.
As I pondered how the world might look if the massive force of diaper recycling was unleashed, it became clear that there could be several big markets for dirty diapers. Imagine the pitches...
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