Green Diapers: What to Look for in Disposable Eco-Friendly Diapers

Green diapers are popping up on store shelves everywhere. Seventh Generation, Earth's Best, Nature BabyCare, and Nurtured by Nature are just some of the options available for those looking for eco-friendly diapers. Huggies has even come out with a “Pure and Natural” line.

If you really want green diapers, cloth diapers should be your first choice, but there are many reasons they may not be practical for all families. Maybe you can only cloth diaper part-time because your day care provider won't use cloth diapers, or you don't have easy access to a washer and dryer.

You may work long hours and don't have the extra help you need to do a few extra loads a week of diaper laundry. Whatever the reason, you may want to use disposable green diapers and this article will help you choose the most eco-friendly diapers- ones that are safer for your baby and good for the environment.

(If you are on the fence, gDiapers are a hybrid type of diaper that uses cloth washable shells with flushable absorbent liners.)

Green Diapers – Eco-friendly Diapers and Sodium Polyacrylate

Almost all eco-friendly diapers contain Sodium Polyacrylate (SAP.) SAP are those gel like crystals you find if a diaper breaks open. They are super-absorbent and the only reason disposable diapers work well. SAP was banned from tampons because it led to toxic shock syndrome.

All the green diapers I know of have SAP in them, with the exception of Tushies and Broody Chick.

Green Diapers – Made from Renewable Resources and Organic and Biodegradable Materials

Only one green diaper brand that I found, Broody Chick, is 100% biodegradable, but only in municipal facilities (not your backyard compost pile.)

Most disposable green diapers are not 100% biodegradable. In fact, most disposable diapers that say they are biodegradable will still take a very long time to degrade in an anaerobic environment like a landfill. (gDiapers says their liners are 100% biodegradable, but they have some SAP in them, so that isn't totally true.)

There are some places in the US that take diapers to recycle them, but they are few and far between. Being biodegradable is a nice feature since the diapers are made from some natural materials, but they aren't likely to actually break down very fast. And that SAP I mentioned before? It definitely doesn't break down.

Chlorine-Free Eco-Friendly Diapers - Bleaching and Dioxin

Dioxin is known to be one the worst chemicals out there when it comes to causing cancer. It is a by-product of the bleaching process and Dioxin may be found in disposable diapers.

In order to avoid this, choose chlorine-free disposable diapers. The brands that you can trust will let you know they are chlorine-free, right on the packaging. They know that educated parents are searching for safe chlorine-free diapers. Bambo Nature, Seventh Generation, Nurtured by Nature, Nature BabyCare, Earth's Best, and all the other diapers mentioned in this article are chlorine-free, with the exception of Huggies.

Green Diapers - Fragrance-Free

You should be avoiding the term "fragrance" in any product that will be around your baby. Fragrance manufacturers aren't required to reveal their ingredients because they are "trade secrets". We do know that pthalates (endocrine disruptors found in fragrance and plastics) can be found in fragrances. Look for fragrance-free diapers.

Green Diapers- Manufacturer Transparency

You will need to know right away that all of the mainstream diaper brands are off-limits if you are concerned about your baby's health. They contain some seriously toxic chemicals in them that can harm your baby's health in the long run.

Because of some quirks in the law, diaper manufacturers are not required to reveal the ingredients used to make diapers. But we know from laboratory tests that disposables emit some very toxic chemicals and can harm young children.

You want to look for brands that are not afraid to reveal what is in their diapers, because they aren't using toxic chemicals. When your child is spending 24 hours a day in diapers for several years, you definitely want to know what is in them.

You might be wondering about the natural lines being put out by popular mainstream brands like Huggies. Are they better than the regular ones? Sure, because they are using less chemicals and materials like organic cotton. Do I trust them? No way! They should be making safe diapers to begin with. While nice, it is unacceptable that it took them this long to provide a line with less toxic chemicals.

It is good when major manufacturers decide to get into the green marketplace. We want safer products on store shelves. If these corporations see that people will buy green products, they'll make more. On the other hand, do you want to reward these companies or give your money to new companies that have always had green values?

Some major manufacturers have the ability to provide green products at a cheaper price than smaller companies, but if my budget allows, I am always willing to spend a few extra cents to support a genuinely green company.

Green Diapers – Where to Buy?

Buy diapers made by companies that care about the environment. You can find some of these brands at your local stores, or on Amazon.com. Be a part of the solution – not a part of the current problem. Look for diapers made with renewable resources that are at least partially biodegradable. If the diapers are made with organic ingredients, that is great, because there is less of a chance of your child being exposed to pesticides.

All of brands mentioned in this article (save Huggies) are trying hard to eliminate toxic chemicals, operate their companies with a level of transparency you will never see from the bigger diaper manufacturers, and limit their impact on the environment.

Vote with your pocketbook. If you choose products by companies that are socially responsible, you will help them to stay in business and their success will show the older companies that there is money to be made if they can become more socially responsible and respect their customer's values.