Circular bio-activation of diaper-derived hydrogel into planting media: Determining agronomic pH stability through decentralized waste valorization
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62671/circulizer.v1i1.247Keywords:
Diaper waste valorization; hydrogel reuse; circular agriculture; microbial bio-activation; planting media; decentralized circular systems.Abstract
The increasing consumption of disposable diapers has generated a persistent polymer-rich waste stream that remains largely excluded from circular recovery systems, particularly in regions where decentralized solutions are required. This study investigates the feasibility of converting diaper-derived hydrogel into planting media through microbial bio-activation and integration with locally available organic residues. A laboratory-scale experimental design was employed using seven formulations with hydrogel contents ranging from 400 to 1200 g and constant proportions of soil, rice husk charcoal, and nutmeg distillation residue. All media were fermented using Local Microorganism (LMO), and substrate pH was monitored weekly for four weeks as the primary indicator of agronomic suitability. The results show that all formulations produced near-neutral pH values between 6.3 and 6.5, with the most stable performance observed in the 800–500 g hydrogel range. These values fall within the optimal pH range for most crops, indicating that diaper-derived hydrogel can function as a water-retention component without inducing soil acidity when biologically stabilized. The study provides experimentally grounded evidence for a low-technology circular innovation that transforms sanitary waste and agro-industrial residues into productive agricultural inputs at the household and community scale.
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