A process for treating used absorbent sanitary products, comprising the steps of: - providing a rotary cylindrical autoclave having an inner surface (22) and two ends, at least one of which terminates in a hatch (18, 20) that can be opened to enable access to said autoclave (14) and sealably closed to enable pressurization of said autoclave (14)； - loading said autoclave (14) with closed absorbent sanitary products； - heating to a sterilization temperature and pressurizing said autoclave (14) and at the same time driving the autoclave (14) in rotation about a longitudinal axis (A) thereof； and - providing inside said autoclave (14) a load of high-density tearing elements designed to facilitate thermal and physical destructuring of said absorbent sanitary products.
