Durban — A new study by the University of Western Cape (UWC) has revealed that the careless dumping of used nappies is negatively affecting the environment.
According to the study, most people in South Africa throw used diapers in water channels and bushes, or even bury them.
UWC’s Dr Takunda Chikata said that the dumping of nappies could have health implications for people living near the dumping sites.
"This can have a lot of consequences in terms of pollution. If you think of the nappies drying on riverbeds, when water starts to flow again, that river water is contaminated, and people downstream will be drinking contaminated water," said Chikata.
He advised that there needs to be adequate waste collection and appropriate disposal of nappies. The institution said this was caused by a lack of waste management services in most areas of the country.
The study states that the impact of nappy and incontinence waste disposal was linked to health and hygiene, and that was why the safe disposal of nappy and incontinence waste was so important.
“It's estimated that about 90% of babies in nappies use disposables instead of cloth nappies, and in South Africa alone about one million babies are born each year. In addition, it is estimated that about 423 million adults worldwide suffer from incontinence, and require adult nappies,” it read.
Some of the viruses found in used diapers include salmonella, listeria and norovirus.
Chikata advised that people who run a business that was generating large volumes of nappy and incontinence waste, such as a crèche, a day care or an elderly care facility, and were throwing them into municipal rubbish bins, were putting their staff at risk of the above-mentioned diseases, as well as the municipal workers who emptied the bins.
The study found that nappy waste, when generated in large enough volumes, was deemed to be hazardous waste (as it may have a detrimental impact on health and the environment).
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