Tag Archives: eco-friendly

The Diaper Guide: Disposable, Cloth, Biodegradable or the G-Diaper?

I have seen many articles on the internet about all these different diaper options and it can get very confusing. Whether you are exploring your options for environmental reasons, financial, health concerns, or just want the cutest diapers for your baby you will find the unbiased information you deserve, here.

 

The Eco Side of Each Diaper

  • disposable baby diaperDisposable diapers can take 500+ years to biodegrade in a landfill. In 2-3 years 1 child can go through 8000-10000 disposable diapers.

 

 

 


  • cloth diaperCloth Diapers, depending on the company you get them from can be designed with earth friendly materials.  Cloth diapers are made to be reused and that is a good thing because it results in less waste. Of course the water and energy used to clean the diapers is a downside of cloth diapers. However there are many cloth diaper washing services specifically created to clean these diapers as efficiently as possible.

 

 

  • g diaper light blueG-Diapers were designed with the cradle to cradle concept meaning that what goes into the product will return to the eco system in a beneficial or neutral way. Waste then becomes a resource. Gdiapers have 2 options, 100% Biodegradable refills or reusable cloths. With the refills you can place them in a home compost (urine only refills), toss, or flush the biodegradable refills (break down in 50-150 days. The Gpants themselves are reusable and can last as long as you want them too, just like cloth diapers.

 

  • BiodNatures babycare biodegradable compostable diaperegradable diapers are disposable diapers made with PLA plastic. The name biodegradable makes it seem like you can throw them in the trash and they will biodegrade in a landfill but because of the lack of oxygen, this would take a very long time to occur. Biodegradable diapers are compostable in industrial compost, so if you unable to send these diapers to a industrial compost, you are only getting other benefits that the diapers may offer depending on the brand such as (lack of chemical(s) used)

 

Comparing the prices

  • Disposable diapers can run from 1,500 – 3,000 dollars depending on the brand and how long your child will wear the diapers.
  • Cloth diapers can run from 700 – 1,900+ dollars (depending on style, this is including laundry costs) (ex. 6 reusable inserts can run at $30) After doing much research, lots of people that use cloth diapers have commented about needed to use disposables for trips and at night time because of potential accidents, this is something to keep in mind in costs.
  • G-Diapers, at Target you can get refill inserts for $52/128 inserts.Also at Target you can get 6 reusable Gpants for 80 dollars. On the Gdiaper website they have all of their products listed with prices.
  • Biodegradable disposable Diapers will run you the same costs of regular disposable diapers, 1,500-3,000 dollars, depending on how long your child will wear the diapers and what brand you choose.

 

Health Effects

  • Disposable diapers are made with plastic and can contribute to diaper rash and irritation. These diapers also keep babies from feeling wetness so it can take longer for a child to understand what is happening when they are using the bathroom. It has been shown that it can take longer for children brought up on disposable diapers to be potty trained, but of course situations vary  and so do children.
  • Cloth diapers, depending on how they are washed can also cause irritation, but it is usually because of the soap that is used in cleansing. These diapers can contribute to children becoming potty-trained sooner because they are much more breathable and this allows a child feel wetness. Bumgenius is a popular stop for cloth diapers made with earth friendly materials that are less likely to irritate your childs skin.
  • Biodegradable diapers. The most popular, Natures baby care diapers are 100% chlorine free, 100% GM.
  • G-Diapers Biodegradable gRefills are made of a water-resistant breathable outer material made of all natural fiber. The inner material is an elemental chlorine free tree-farmed fluff pulp and Super Absorbing Polyacrylate, an absorbent core that keeps bottoms dry. gRefills  and 100% biodegradable. gPants are made out of cotton, with a hint of elastene for stretch. gPant pouches are made of breathable polyurethane-coated nylon, similar to what’s used in sports clothing. Pouches are breathable which means babies bottoms stay cool and diaper rash is kept at bay.gCloth inserts are made from four layers of soft microfleece and hemp/cotton. There should be little to know irritation with these diapers.

Ease of Use?

  • Disposable diapers are quick and easy. Take one off, put one on, throw the used one away and you’re done. They are good for night time wear and travel.
  • Cloth Diapers, depending on which system you use can be simple or take a few more steps. If you have a cleaning service, it takes some steps out for you, if not you need to make sure that you have a special spot for dirty cloths and that you clean them within a day or two. If you are using refills that can be thrown away/flushes/composted you just have to focus on keeping the shell of the diaper clean. If you have a system going they can work for night time and travel but it will require more attention than a single use diaper.
  • Biodegradable diapers are just like disposables, quick and easy. Take one off, put one on, throw the used one away and you’re done. They are good for night time wear and travel.
  • G-diapers , if you are using disposable refills are quite easy, same number of steps as using a disposable. If the gpant gets wet of course you will need to place it in a bin to be cleaned and use a fresh one. If you are using the reusable cloths you will need to make sure they are cleaned within a day or two.If you hiring a cleaning service for cloths gdiapers are very simple, if you use refills, they are still very simple. These diapers have a lot of leak free structure so they are ok for night time wear and traveling.

LINKS!

Gdiaper

Bumgenius

Natures Babycare

Choosing the more eco-friendly plastic

All plastic is not alike.

Oxo biodegradable plastic fragments into small pieces animals mistake for food

Consumers have gotten somewhat familiar with what can or cannot be recycled. But few consumers understand what oxo biodegradable plastic is or the impact that it has on the environment.

Oxo Biodegradable Plastic (OBD) is a polyolefin plastic – a type of transparent plastic often with an oily or waxy feel to it – that’s had small catalytic amounts of metal salts and/or heavy metals added to it.

According to the Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association, “until the plastic has degraded, it has the same strength, impermeability, printability and other characteristics of normal plastic.”

This statement, however, is misleading. The nature of oxo biodegradable plastic is that it begins to break down almost from the point of its manufacture. This is what gives it a limited shelf life. Manufacturers have tried to combat this by adding anti-oxygen components to the plastic. This, however, weakens the polymer and ends up contaminating the recycling stream. Also these salts and metals are inorganic materials and, because they don’t break down, will remain in the soil or environment long after the material itself breaks down.

This type of plastic poses a real hazard to the environment.  Its components break down in fragments, small pieces that are often mistaken by animals for food. There’s no real scientific evidence that small microbes are breaking the plastic down to its natural elements.

ENSO bottles won't contaminiate the recycling stream or the environment

ENSO plastic bottles are more environmentally-friendly.

ENSO’s additive is comprised of organic renewable sources. The additive doesn’t react to anything in the plastic, allowing it to retain its original strength, rather than breaking down when exposed to light or oxygen as oxo biodegradable plastic does.

ENSO bottles only begin to break down when placed in a dirt or some other microbial environment that allows microbes to colonize on the plastic, utilizing it as a food source  then beginning the process of breaking it down to its basic components of biogas and biomass. ENSO bottles can also safely be integrated into the recycling stream without any worries of contaminating it.

The difference between plastics can be both simple and profound. The type you use can either have a negative impact on the environment such as with oxo biodegradable plastic or a more neutral impact as with ENSO bottles.

Which one you choose makes a difference.