50 million disposable diapers enter the landfill every day. The average baby goes through 5,000 diapers before being potty-trained. It takes up to 500 years for a disposable diaper to biodegrade in a landfill. Just in time for your great, great, great, great, grandchild's birth. Sick. So, obviously, I've been thinking a lot about diapers lately (whoo - exciting, eh?!) and wondering how I could get around the whole smelly pail of diapers/messing up the place thing with cloth but absolutely avoid the vile plastic disposable route. It's not like PJs can roam in the nude! I recently learned about gDiapers (shown above) and need to find out some more first, but they sound like an interesting option.
gDiapers consist of a washable, cotton outer pant and a plastic-free flushable refill. Flushable refills contain tree farmed fluff pulp and Super absorber SAP. The outer material of the flushable is all natural fibre and is 100% compostable.
They've received a great review from the non-profit environmental action group, Natural Resources Defense Council:
This month's edition of the NRDC's This Green Life revisits the environmental diaper debate. The article states: "gDiapers seem to have the environmental edge over more conventional choices because they send no material to the landfill, use no elemental chlorine or plastics, and require much less washing (therefore, less water and energy usage) than regular cloth diapers."
I am not sure about the SAP absorbent stuff, and they're made in China so honestly I'm concerned about the impact of the shipping distance. I will probably go with cloth in the end, but I like the idea of using these outer pants things on top and having a few of their inserts for travels and nighttimes - at least until I get a better idea of the whole diapers-in-action thing! Any Mom's in Vancouver know of a good cloth service?
4 comments:
I still think it is pretty sureal that you and I just wandered through the baby asile on Wednesday and one day in the near future we will actually be picking things up!
It is weird, eh? I was in the baby aisle today actually at London Drugs - I was looking for some baby lotion that I use on my skin and I realized that I'll have to share it with PJs soon!
At least we're still a few years away from that other article (cane tips and metamucil!)... ;-)
What a responsibility it will be for PJs to grow up in a world where the environment is at a breaking point and that even the smallest change can make a world of positive difference. We're going to definitely do our best to make sure that PJs is eco-friendly and a warrior for a world where everyone is working to make the earth a place where we as humans can live for centuries to come!
Here here, Jamie!!
Post a Comment