Responsible Use of Disposable Nappies €¦ and new eco-disposables
So you want to use disposable nappies? Here's how you can make sure you are doing your bit for your health and your environment.
If there was ever a great oxymoron questioned by a committed cloth nappy user, this would have to be it!
Is there really a responsible way to use disposable nappies? The last Choice Magazine Survey revealed to us that 86% of the 250,000 babies born every year in Australia get to wear a disposable nappy casually, part-time or full-time. Considering that one baby can fill your entire house with all the nappies they will wear in their lifetime, this is a lot of nappies if you are using them full-time. But the waste is not the subject of this article, it is in the right way to use and dispose of them that you can still make your difference.
If you use disposable nappies, here is a checklist to make sure you are using them responsibly for your child, for our community and your environment.
1. ; ;Poo Goes in the loo!
TIP: Always use a flushable or cloth nappy liner inside your disposable nappy.
Our country has a great sewerage system to thank for our health. Human waste is dealt with efficiently in sewers, compost toilets and septic tanks all over the country. But when a disposable nappy is used, what do you do with your child's poo? A newborn poo is impossible to remove from a disposable while a firm poo can be tossed there easily. So a flushable nappy liner or a cloth insert is vital for protecting your baby’s skin and disposing of poo. With a vaccination rate of 80% in the country, that much poo being placed in bins and ultimately in our landfill which leaches into our water table…may possibly be keeping diseases in circulation. Let’s not take the risk. There are other illnesses that the human body disposes of with faeces too so … use the loo for the health of all of us, especially for the baby who is wearing the nappy. They'll be grown up before we know the impact.
If you take a good look at the instructions on a packet of disposable nappies, you will see they describe how you should deal with faeces legally - by placing them down the toilet. This legally covers the company selling the nappy but doesn't cover you if you get caught throwing poo in the bin! No parent has been arrested for this as yet, but imagine the uproar if s/he was!
Another great reason for using a liner is that it provides a barrier between your baby’s skin and the gel in the nappy. The effect of these gels is still unknown.
2. ; Disposal
Placing a disposable nappy inside a plastic bag after using it enormously increases the years it will take to break down. Try using biodegradable nappy bags or brown paper bags for disposal. You will be having a significant impact on environmental waste. Always use nappy bins where provided.
You can have a go at composting your disposable nappies. First, place the poo in the loo. Second, remove any plastic and place in your normal bin for disposal. Three, scatter the cotton in your compost, dig a hole if you have a property. Some people have told me they even put it strait on their garden!
If you live in Melbourne, you can contact My Planet Nappy Recycling at http://www.myplanet.com.au/. ; For a small fee they will pick up and totally recycle your disposable nappy.
3. ; Eco - Disposables: How Biodegradable Are They?
Firstly, no matter what you may read elsewhere, there is no such thing as a completely biodegradable nappy! Landfills and tips, where most disposable nappies end up, are anaerobic. This means that the oxygen needed to break down matter is unable to get into the landfills. There is also no water and no air or light! Add to this the unresearched effects of gels which differ with each brand. Don't be easily fooled by eco-packaging. We are going to see more and more misleading products on the market. You need to be discerning. Get your facts and be careful of marketing hype. Get the right advice, not just any advice.
There are three brands available in Australia now. They are all VERY different from each other. Ask the company direct about any research being done and the claims they are making about biodegradability. Remember, the research must be independent or it won't count for much.
What is common with all eco-disposables is that they have no bleaches, perfumes and dioxins. They are usually cotton or paper padded for absorbency and contain either no gel or a limited form of gel. Some are the same gels as standard disposables. If your child is allergy sensitive, definitely avoid all gels and use cloth where possible.
ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. ECO-PACKAGING CAN MAKE US FEEL GOOD BUT NOT ALWAYS TELL US THE WHOLE STORY.
- ;Try Cloth Part Time
Disposable Nappies cost you approximately $5000 for one child. If you use cloth part time, think about what you would do with a spare $2000?
Jannine Barron - Author
Jannine writes regulary about nappies in many parenting magazines and is the mother of two boys. She is also the owner of Natures Child in Byron Bay.
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