Biodegradable Nappies
Whether to use disposable or cloth nappies is a difficult decision for many parents concerned about the environment. Regular disposable nappies are clearly the convenient option but they create significant landfill and can take hundreds of years to break down. Using cloth nappies won’t add to landfill but the detergent used to clean them can certainly add up.
Thankfully, biodegradable disposable nappies are coming on to the market which could be the environmentally friendly solution we are looking for.
Although not entirely biodegradable, BabyLove EcoBots nappies are a convenient solution which is less damaging to the environment. These nappies are 60% biodegradable (compared to 30% with regular nappies) due to the use of corn starch in the product which is 100% biodegradable. The nappies are packaged in a product which is completely biodegradable known as Mater-Bi. Mater-Bi is a renewable resource as it is made from corn. It is non-toxic so it can be composted in your garden compost bin. This product is also used to make plastic bags, personal care products, and disposable plates and cutlery.
Another eco-friendly nappy option is the Bambo Nature nappies. They are made in Denmark in a way which meets Scandinavia’s strict environmentally friendly labelling requirements. Great if you can get them.
Also from Scandinavia is Moltox Oko nappies. These are made without any chlorine or bleaching agents and can be composted (they break down in 8 weeks). They are packaged in 100% degradable packaging.
Look out for more of these kinds of products becoming available in Australia in the coming years. Leave a comment if you know where you can find biodegradable disposal nappies in Australia and how effective they are.
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In the States, you can use the gDiaper (http://gdiapers.com) system which is completely degradable, and even flushable. The gDiapers are a based on nappies developed in Tasmania - Eenee Eco Flushable Nappies (http://www.eenee.com/).
We’re currently expecting our first baby, and have been looking into what’s out there, and these sound quite fantastic to us.
Hi there. I am a Director of Naturebotts in the UK, which Buy Organic links to for Bambo Nature and Moltex Oko nappies.
You can get Moltex Oko in Australia from http://www.ecodirect.com.au. In fact, on a recent trip to Australia, rather than lugging a bag of nappies all that way, I had some delivered very efficiently.
If you’re in the UK, come to the Naturebotts site!!
That’s great to know. Thank you for posting that link.
Actually, the Moltex Nappies are made in Germany, not in Scandinavia and they are excellent!!
Hi. Mums Happy Nappies stocks many eco-disposable options here in Australia. We stock Bambo Nature, Babylove Ecobots, Weenees pouch pants and flushable pads, and the new Safeties Nature Nappy (the first 100% biodegradable all in one disposable). We also stock several cloth options and a wide range of natural and organic skincare. Mums Happy Nappies ships Australia wide.
I found the following on the Kimberly Clarke Website (http://www.kca.com.au/news/news08.htm) They make Huggies so they obviously have a vested interest. Does anyone know if the info is accurate or not?
“Landfill sites are engineered to be stable and low in moisture. In Australia, landfills are so dry and compact they tend to “mummify” their contents. As a result, nothing much breaks down in landfill – even newspapers, which are 100% degradable above ground, remain intact and legible for decades in landfills. This means a biodegradable nappy in landfill is normally not given the chance to biodegrade.”
I also wondered if composted nappies are safe to use as compost on a vegie patch, which will produce vegies to be eaten? Are there safety issues with this?
I do believe it’s true that a lot of landfill doesn’t break down due to a lack of moisture. That is why we recommend having your own compost heap and to recycle as much as you can.
See here for information on what can be composted, in relation to nappies:
Composting Nappies - Sorry, I can’t link to the page in question but they have some good information if you look around their site.
Vanessa from Nordic Nappies here. We’re the Australian distributors of Bambo Nature. The point about landfill is absolutely correct, and it’s one that I’m always telling people.
If you can compost your disposables, do try. However, you need to be aware that a home compost needs to be turned every day, and have sufficient light and air to be working efficiently.
You need to be careful about what goes into your compost if you’re going to use it on your vegetables. For example, newspaper is printed with heavy metal inks - do you really want to eat that?
The reason that Bambo Nature nappies are so environmentally friendly is that they have an eco friendly manufacturing process, contain no environmentally harmful raw materials, and have an independent eco label that is granted because the nappies have a low environmental impact from cradle to grave. It’s important to consider what has happened before the product reaches you, as well as the disposal.
Thanks Vanessa
I read somewhere else that in Australia it’s illegal to compost anything containing human poo, so you can’t compost nappies.
So if you can’t compost them, and even biodegradable ones don’t break down in landfill because it’s too dry - there doesn’t really seem to be many plusses?
You’re not supposed to put nappies containing poo into your rubbish bin, which is why you should use liners even with disposable nappies. Flush the poo in the loo, then either compost or dispose of them in your bin.
There was a study done by the UK Environment Agency on a life cycle assessment of cloth and disposable nappies. You can find it here: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/nappies_1072099.pdf.
It was interesting that an independent body found that cloth and disposables have similar impacts on the environment. What this study didn’t look at, however, was eco friendly disposables, which definitely have a lower eco footprint. I also believe that the study didn’t take into account cloth options such as bamboo and organic cotton.
I think the answer is that you choose whatever you’re comfortable with, and toilet train as soon as possible!
I use Moltex for both my babies. Apparently you can safely use the compost from nappies which have been only wee-ed in. Unfortunately I do not have a compost bin/system large enough to cope with the quantity of nappies we go through, plus I do not have the time required to ‘manage’ such a system. So I spend silly amounts of money on biodegradable bin liners and dispose of the nappies in the bin. I figure that at least I’m putting biodegradable nappies in the landfill and ‘when’ governments get their act together to improve landfill conditions then those nappies will be ready to break down easily. I find it hard to believe they don’t break down a little as they do come with their own moisture, right? Plus, the bin liners are so biodegradable they only just make it to the bin in time!
I think more attention should be given to getting biodegradable (not degradable) bin liners easily available in supermarkets for a reasonable price, if not the same price as plastic ones.
On a final note, am I the only time-poor mother who smiled in disbelief that it might be expected that we “use liners even with disposable nappies” and “Flush the poo in the loo”? If ONLY that were possible. ‘;-}
The price of biodegradable nappies and other products is definitely a problem. Many of us want to do the right thing but it’s difficult when you can’t afford to purchase eco friendlier products.
At least you are making an effort and doing the best you can to reduce your impact on the environment - that’s more than most people ever do.
I live in Austria and have been using moltox oko nappies, here they retail for 11 euros for a 42 pack, is there anywhere i can get them at a reasonable price when i get to sydney next week.
Hi - you can also purchase Nature Babycare nappies in Australia from Safeway (Woolworths). I’ve used this since my now 14week old girl was born and she’s used sizes 1-3. She has rarely leaked and that was only when she did mega exploda-poos when she was really little and we had left her too long. They are soft, comfortable and completely understated with just a little leaf design on them. I really loved them and plan on continuing to use them although they are more expensive here in Australia, plus they only seem to stock size 4 up in Safeway when I still need a 3!
A comment`about Moltex nappies .If you check there “german website ” it is clearly stated that there nappies are not biodegradable. Only a portion is , I would guess at about 60%, so they will be tricky in compost. But if you dont mind the poo you can take out the plastic at the end of the compost cycle along with all the other non biodegrdable stuff that invariably ends up in it.