OK, I know I'm a little bit more committed to the environment than the average person, but I'm also not living on a wind farm somewhere, heating my water with the sun or cooking all my own meals with local crops. Of course, many of the aforementioned activities require a major commitment both in effort and money, two things I am rather low on, but I know there are many things I could and should be doing for the environment that I'm not.
That being said, when I found out I was pregnant more than two and a half years ago, most of the choices I made gave some consideration to their environmental impact. Some of those choices had negligible effects I'm sure, but the one idea that plagued me for months before my daughter was born were diapers - cloth or disposable?.
Many different sources pretty much agree that:
- The average baby will use 5000 - 7000 diapers before becoming potty trained.
- Plastic disposable diapers take hundreds of years to decompose.
- During decomposition, plastic diapers treated with bleach emit dioxins which are considered one of the most toxic substances out there. These toxins are also absorbed into your baby's body which is no small matter.
- 18 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills each year.
So, diapers, either disposable or cloth, have a HUGE environmental impact, especially when you multiply by the number of babies out there. So, I researched the topic tirelessly and finally made a reluctant decision based on my situation. Since I live on an island where it only rains on average eleven inches a year and about thirty percent of our fresh water is desalinated from the ocean, cloth diapers were pretty much out of the question due to the huge amount of water needed to wash them.
Next, I researched hybrid cloth/disposable diapers but the cost was prohibitive. My only remaining option was "earth friendly" disposables. I continued my research and read tons of online reviews. Finally I whittled and whittled till I came down to one brand. Angels trumpeted and a beam of heavenly light fell on my computer keyboard! Well, at least that's what it felt like - relief! I'd found it!
Nature Babycare! The reviews were great and the product was made using the most environmentally ethical practices I could find. Even the packaging was made from a form of chalk that easily decomposes and biodegrades. The only drawback I saw was that they were made in Sweden, which meant lots of fuel burned to get them to California. I put that element aside though and made my commitment to Nature Babycare. I bought the diapers, wipes and rash creme and waited for baby to arrive.
I've been using Nature Babycare products exclusively for the almost two years since my daughter's birth and I couldn't be happier! They simply don't leak, fit perfectly and don't have any chemical smell like big brand diapers. We had to buy Pampers or Huggies (I don't remember which) once when we ran out of Nature Babycare and my husband and I agreed that the smell was repulsive!
One day when I was picking my daughter up from pre-school, her teacher, who has many years of experience with diapers, pulled me aside. "Where do you get those diapers? They're the best diapers I've ever used! I want to tell my daughter about them so she can buy some for my grand-daughter."
I will admit that Nature Babycare diapers cost about $.09 more per diaper that the big name brands, but the same amount as the big name brand's "natural" version. I don't think twice about spending this small extra amount. It's a no-brainer!
Today I went to Babies R Us to purchase more Nature Babycare diapers and to my extreme disappointment, there were only three packages on the shelf and none were the size I needed. I grabbed a package of Earth's Best diapers and headed for the check-out. I asked the manager if they meant to discontinue carrying Nature Babycare. When he confirmed my fear I asked him "why?". He explained that they just didn't sell enough to justify carrying them anymore. I communicated my disappointment, although I realize it's no fault of the store, purchased the Earth's Best diapers and left.
SOAP BOX TIME!
I can hardly explain the disappointment I felt as I left the store. After all, it hadn't only been the Nature Babycare diapers that were on "clearance". Many of the other brands I had considered two years ago looked like they too were being phased out. I'm so astonished that consumers can be that short-sighted and selfish! Not only are disposable diapers made with plastics and bleach that are harmful to our environment but they're harmful to our babies! When are we as a species going to start thinking about the choices we make and consider the consequences of those choices no matter how small they may seem? I can hardly believe that a single person can throw thousands of disposable diapers into a trash can and not think once, or care, about what will become of them. I'm not sure what the motivation is for buying disposable diapers made with plastics and chemicals because I can't be in another person's head, but I cannot think of one thing more important than my baby's health and the health of the planet I call home.
I recently discovered that Nature Babycare diapers are no longer carried in Target either. I enthusiastically recommend these diapers and they can be purchased at Diapers.com which has free shipping for orders over $49.
Nature Babycare at Diapers.com
By the way, this is a totally personal endorsement. I have not been and will not be compensated in any way by anyone for stating my opinion here. I just wanted to share a product I truly believe in.
