Nappies go in general waste.
pan-no-LEE-ni — stress the third syllable; double 'n' gives a held nasal sound.
Use this when explaining waste sorting to parents or caregivers. Nappies are a significant fraction of household waste for families with young children, and many people are unsure which bin to use.
Pannolini (nappies/diapers) are composite products containing plastic, paper pulp, and hygiene gel. They cannot be recycled or composted in standard systems and must go in the indifferenziato (general waste). Some municipalities have started specialised nappy recycling pilots, but these are not yet widespread.
I pannolini sporchi non si riciclano.
Soiled nappies cannot be recycled.
Clear statement; the hygiene content prevents any recycling.
Esistono pannolini lavabili che riducono i rifiuti.
Reusable nappies exist that reduce waste.
Introduces the reusable alternative; popular in the Italian zero-waste community.
Il comune di Treviso ha un progetto di riciclo dei pannolini.
The municipality of Treviso has a nappy recycling project.
Reference to a real Italian innovation; Fater (Pampers manufacturer) partnered with Treviso.
Italy's Fater company (a P&G joint venture) operates the world's first industrial plant for recycling disposable nappies and incontinence products in Treviso, in partnership with the municipality. The plant separates and recovers the cellulose, superabsorbent polymers, and plastics from used nappies — a world-first technology being licensed internationally.