Unitika

Unitika Develops New Resin A water-absorbing resin developed by Unitika, Osaka, Japan, could lead to environmentally friendly diapers that can be safely burned or flushed down a toilet. The new resin, which is made of guar gum and can be dissolved by microorganisms in water can also be buried as fertilizer to help desert greening, according to Unitika spokesman Norihisa Sasaki. The company has already used the resin with special textiles to make prototype diapers that completely break down into water and carbon dioxide. Still pricing problems exist for these diapers, which cost about five times as much as traditional diapers.