16 September 2025
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Every year hundreds of millions of disposable diapers end up in landfills or incinerators, some 8.5 million tons in Europe alone. Melvin Kizito is working on a solution with his startup Alkyl Recycling: a sustainable chemical treatment that converts waste into valuable raw materials. Thanks to the financial support and guidance of LIOF, the engineer, who grew up in Kenya, is taking the step from idea to practice. Next milestone is the construction of a pilot plant that will bring large-scale application of the technology into sight.
Meet Alkyl
Dirty diapers transform into clean plastic, cellulose and gel. Precious raw materials, perfectly suited to desired transition to a circular economy. That sounds too good to be true.
Melvin Kizito draws a wide grin. "Yet it is," says the 31-year-old entrepreneur and chemist, "and in a sustainable way, too. With a mix of harmless chemicals, a used diaper disintegrates into the three raw materials it was once made of. Feces, viruses, bacteria, drug residues; all harmful substances are rendered harmless. And because this takes place in a reactor at room temperature, during a chemical process, with a minimum of energy and sustainably."
"I am optimistic because we have a solution to a major waste problem. Moreover, I see a solid revenue model."
LIOF & Alkyl
Thanks to early support from LIOF, Alkyl Recycling was soon able to move from idea to practice. With funding and guidance from the organization, the first experiments were carried out in CHILL's laboratories on the Brightlands Chemelot Campus. The positive results formed the foundation for further growth with the next milestone being the construction of a pilot plant. This will bring the large-scale application of the technology into sight and enable the Limburg region to play a key role in the circular processing of diapers.