Eco Nappies: Tried and tested
With my 2 eldest children I unashamedly used disposable nappies, with my prime concern being preventing leakages at all costs. Years later, a hell of a lot more environmentally conscious, I have looked for alternatives. When I think about how many plastic disposable nappies I sent to landfill I feel sick; they’ll be lingering around for many many MANY years to come; I’m talking 500 plus years for the traditional plastic nappies.
This time around I did some research and armed myself with some uber cute cloth nappies (both purchased and borrowed from kind friends). I did however have to be honest with myself; for the first couple of months of being a mum to a newborn again, cloth nappies wasn’t something I was up for straight away so I gave myself 3 months before using them. So for this 3 month period I needed something practical that was kinder to the planet and didn’t leave me feeling incredibly guilty.
Bamboo Eco disposable nappies were the answer for me; I know they are not a perfect solution given my desire to go zero waste on this one, but they are better than the alternative. I’ve tried a few so I thought I’d share my experience with them. Firstly, they’re not cheap; not even close to the old Huggies and Babylove but being environmentally conscious comes at a price, don’t we know it! I came across quite a few and thought trying them out would be the best way forward. When Maeve came along, we just got stuck in and tried Bambo, Luvme Pandas, Tooshies by Tom and Eco originals. Just to be clear, these are not 100% biodegradable but will definitely not linger around in landfill as long as their plastic counterparts.
Bambo: One of the more expensive options and made in a facility where most (95%) of all production waste gets recycled, impressive. Free from Nasty stuff, recyclable packaging, carries Nordic Eco Swan and FSC (Forest Stewardship council) labels. Now, I really loved these when Maeve was really new but considering they are made in Denmark, not so ‘eco’ friendly considering they need to be shipped to Oz. Nappies themselves are super soft for bubs bottoms, only had leaks through the night when Maeve grew a little. These can only be purchased online and for a premium. You’ll be looking at about $100 for 132 nappies. Look out, the size of the bulk boxes vary from supplier to supplier too, which caught me up.
Tooshie by Tom: So these organic bamboo nappies are freely available at many supermarkets and chemists. Much more economical than the others coming in at around $20 for 50 nappies. They feel really soft, seem to have relatively good absorbancy but they don’t seem to draw the moisture away from your bubs skin as well as some of the others. One downfall of these, and this happened on more than one occasion, is that some of the adhesive used ended up sticking to Maeves skin, was not cool impressed; needless to say after the 2nd time we stop using them. There is also no indicator on the nappy to show if it is wet. I have read some other reviews highlighting that the new nappy design (currently available) is not as good as the last.
Luvme Pandas: These are my favourites! Not exactly cheap but better than Bambo, coming in at around $69 for a box of 72, these supersoft bamboo nappies are a winner. We haven’t had any leaks with these and single nappy can see us through a whole night some nights. Made from 90+% plant-based biodegradable materials, free from any nasty stuff and take between 90-120 days to biodegrade (depending on the conditions). Another brand that can only be purchased online but is Australian owned and operated. They manufacture in off-grid facility that uses 100% renewable energy and aim for 0% trade waste.I believe a subscription option is not far away.
Ecooriginals: These are also great and the only reason they're not up there with the Luvme Pandas for me is because there is no wetness indicator. They are a little more expensive at around $118 for 120 nappies, slightly cheaper if you subscribe to frequent deliveries. Founded in Byron Bay and manufactured in an off-grid facility in New Zealand, this female dominated company are committed to sustainability by planting trees, being plastic neutral and undertake carbon offset projects. The nappies are super soft and highly absorbent, 90% biodegradable and definitely worth the purchase.
In terms of wipes, we have trialed the Wotnot biodegradable baby wipes which are fantastic, although a little pricey and the Luveme Eco plant baby biodegradable wipes which are much more affordable and also very good, albeit much thinner and smaller. I prefer the Wotnot wipes as they are a thicker wipe but the Luvme are much better value. Of course, when it came to a sore bottom and even in redness in those chunky leg creases, our Soothe It Balm is the perfect tox free, baby friendly balm option, check it out here.
Just thought I’d share my experience. I have only a few left before switching to cloth nappies, will share what I find in that arena too.
