KAGOSHIMA -- A team of local governments and private firms in Japan has developed the world's first toilet paper made from materials including used diapers, and has high hopes the initiative will help protect the environment.

The recycled toilet paper is currently available at seven stores in Kagoshima Prefecture's Osumi region and southern Miyazaki Prefecture, both in southwest Japan's Kyushu.

The project was spearheaded by the city of Shibushi and the town of Osaki in Kagoshima Prefecture, in collaboration with private firms. The two municipalities, which have a joint waste management system, began recycling disposable diapers in April by separating them from other types of trash during collection. Between April and September, the program collected 98 metric tons of hygiene items, including urine pads and wet wipes, to repurpose into toilet paper.

The recycling process starts with sterilizing, deodorizing, and bleaching the collected materials to make them resemble new pulp. This step utilizes technology provided by Tokyo-based hygiene product maker Unicharm Corp. The treated materials are then sent to Poppy Paper Co.'s Fukuyo plant in Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, where they are mixed in small amounts with recycled paper to create toilet paper. Over two months, the company produced approximately 30,000 rolls.

Branded as the "Shibushi Osaki Roll," the eco-friendly toilet paper went on sale in August, priced at about 400 yen (approx. $2.70) for a 12-roll pack. The packaging features a gradient of light blue, green and orange, symbolizing Shibushi's official colors along with Osaki's blue.

"Please support this eco-friendly product, which aims to promote a sustainable society by reusing local resources," said Takumi Obo, a spokesperson for the Osaki Municipal Government's SDGs Promotion Council, which is leading the initiative.

Satoshi Yoshida from Poppy Paper's sales department stated, "This initiative could help diversify the ways to secure raw materials, especially as used paper supplies are expected to declines with the rise of paperless systems and a shrinking population."

(Japanese original by Takashi Umeyama, Kagoshima Bureau)