The 5 Best Biodegradable Diapers For Intelligent Mom’s

Some people can’t deal with reusable diapers, and I can’t blame them. The reality of having to hand wash nappies is a scary process.

But, you might still feel bad about the damage disposable baby diapers are doing to the environment.

I mean, it only takes 500 years for disposable diapers to decompose. And when they do eventually break down, we’re left with a bunch of toxins infecting our wildlife and food.

Are you starting to feel guilty?

Well, making the switch to biodegradable diapers might be the step in the right direction and they might make a great eco-friendly newborn gift. But what’s so good about them? And what are they made from?

I set out to find out what the best biodegradable diapers on the market had to offer; to help you feel guilt-free the next time you use a diaper.

Read on, and I’ll give you everything you need to know about diapers and share some tips on how to buy your first pack.

Sound good?

Great let’s get started by answering the first most common question I hear:

What To Look For When Buying Biodegradable Diapers

What Are The Best Biodegradable Diapers?

What makes the best biodegradable diapers is different for each person, which is fine; everyone has there own idea of how a diaper should perform.

I set my self a mission to find the best diapers, to do so, I followed my guide on what to look for, and this is what I came up with:

Eco Boom Diapers

Made from 100% bamboo fiber, it ensures to leave no environmental impact on the earth.

The biodegradable diaper boasts it’s chemical-free.

Which means no chlorine, phthalates, or anything else that might harm your baby.

The hypoallergenic and antibacterial qualities make it great for a baby that has sensitive skin.

Not only is it great for there skin, but the diapers are durable and absorbent.

To make it better, they use a natural aloe oil to protect and nourish your babies bum.

Key Features

The diapers had some excellent reviews; they were soft and breathable. And on top of that very absorbent, they didn’t seem to leak unless the flow was heavy. Another person said they were good, but it appeared to be moist on the outside as if it was sweating.

I love these plant-based diapers. They seemed reliable and absorbent, which let’s face it; you couldn’t ask for much more. The diapers claim to be compostable, but after research, you need to remove the tabs. Considering it lowers environmental impact, I think it’s a small price to pay.

Andy Pandy Biodegradable Diaper

With these diapers, you can say goodbye to diaper rash.

Andy pandy’s diapers have a specially designed core that pulls away moisture from your baby’s bum to stop irritation.

The diapers are made from bamboo to bring ultra comfort to your baby.

The diapers are 100% toxin-free, order resistant, and comes with five different sizes available.

The best bit is Andy Pandy offers a lifetime no-leak guarantee.

Not a bad thing if you’re introducing yourself to the world of biodegradable diapers.

Key Features

I saw a lot of people express admiration for how flexible the diapers are and that they didn’t seem too stiff or rigid. And how the elastic band had stopped its share of explosions. One thing to watch out for is that they look pretty wide for there sizes, so it’s worth checking out the dimensions.

I like Andy Pandy diapers; mums created an honest company for mums. They wanted to make diapers that helped with nappy rash but was good for the environment. The company also donate part of their profits to charity.

Bambo Nature Diapers

Bambo nature offers high-quality diapers at low prices; they have six different sizes and provide a wide range of quantities.

The diapers are made from bamboo and ensure they are free of harmful chemicals and perfumes.

They recently earned certification from Danish asthma/allergy association for being dermatological tested.

Their innovative design diapers are thin, but they offer ultra absorbency and breathability.

Their cotton-like core wicks the moisture away to help prevent nappy rash.

Key Features

People said there the best on the market, the quality is excellent, and for such thin diapers, they absorb well. One bad thing I noticed was the sizing again. Size 1 should fit a 4-9 lbs baby, yet it was too big for a 7 lbs baby. If this is true, it might be worth waiting until your baby is over 9 lbs.

The core can hold an amazing load of urine, so it’s perfect for night time. I also liked how thin and lightweight they looked. And with no chlorine to be seen, they’ll be fantastic for your baby’s bottom. Finally, the amount you get for the price is pretty exceptional.

Mum And You Nappychat Diapers

Like most standard diapers, they are made from wood pulp, which is sourced from sustainable forest to lower their environmental impact.

Their diapers are made for any skin type, no matter how sensitive the skin is.

This is because they use no harmful chemicals in production.

These diapers boast they can stay dry for up to 12 hours and remain soft, perfect for being used overnight.

That means no more soggy clothes in the morning; what more could you ask for?

The biodegradable core makes these diapers a lot better for the environment.

Key Features

After reading the reviews previous customers left, I noticed how well these diapers adsorb and how soft they are. One customer wrote, “If it wasn’t for the wetness indicator, I would have never known it was wet.”

I love how absorbent these diapers are; they seem to perform excellently, but I do have some concerns about the biodegradability of these diapers. From my research, I could only see the core was biodegradable, the only part of these diapers that could biodegrade.

Naty Biodegradable Diapers

Naty diapers are made from a biodegradable corn starch product.

They are certified by asthma and allergy associations, so their safe for your baby.

The diapers are toxin-free and designed to minimize the risk of allergies and nappy rash.

The company spent over 20 years perfecting its diapers to have a low environmental impact.

The diapers are available in sizes from newborn to size 6; plenty of options!

The quantities vary from a 72 count to 136 diapers per back, which should be more than enough to get you started.

Key Features

One person claimed she was a fan of these diapers, due to hard it being hard to find ones that are chlorine and latex-free. One problem is the sizing again; they seem to be a little large, which can cause leaks. Someone also mentioned to be careful with the tabs, or they might fall off.

It looks like chlorine-free diapers are the trend at the moment, if this is the case for you, then I’m sure you’ll have no problems with them. I also like the intuitive design of using cornstarch. It seems like a genuinely sustainable source other than bamboo.

Why Use Biodegradable Diapers?

Let’s start with, how much better it is for the environment.

The average baby uses up to 8,000 diapers throughout their lifetime before they’re potty trained, which means, disposable baby diapers account for a considerable percentage of US trash.

It’s estimated that 20 billion ends up in landfill sites, that’s roughly 3.5 million tons getting dumped every year. And the thing is regular diapers don’t decompose. In fact, quite the opposite, scientists think it would take well over 500 years before they would decompose.

Unless diapers are exposed to the right conditions it like likely they will ever decompose:

With this in mind:

It should be enough to start swaying you towards biodegradable diapers. But, if it hasn’t, I’ve got a couple of other things that might.

Your regular diapers are full of chemicals, which can potentially harm your baby:

That’s just a few chemicals that are found, but if you are interested, a French authority tested the nappies. The findings are pretty shocking. Which, might be another reason to take the leap and buy biodegradable nappies; they’re made with no toxic chemicals.

Even after the chemicals have done their damage with your baby’s skin, they go out to the environment and poison the land and leech into your food and water sources. Our food is being contaminated with plastic as it is, and by adding chemicals to the mix, it’s only getting worse.

The beauty with biodegradable diapers is, they’re made from sustainably sourced materials, although you should still dispose of them correctly, usually via commercial composting. If that’s not available to you, the trash will be excellent.

What Are Biodegradable Diapers Made Off?

Biodegradable diapers are usually made from plant-based materials, the problem is there are a lot of “biodegradable diapers” that aren’t 100% biodegradable.

So, what are biodegradable diapers usually made of?

Bamboo

It is by far the most eco-friendly and sustainable biodegradable nappy on the market today. Bamboo is considered to be a green crop for a few reasons.

For one, it grows so rapidly that it replenishes itself very quickly after the harvest. And secondly, a bamboo forest can absorb more carbon than other trees and plants.

Theres more:

Bamboo needs little to no assistance for it to grow. That means there’s no:

Required to grow bamboo, which is great if you’re trying to lower your carbon footprint. I’ve also heard that bamboo is more absorbent than cotton. For these reasons, bamboo is always my first choice.

Wood Pulp

This is a common material in most disposable baby diapers, but recently companies have deiced to use nothing but wood pulp.

This means they get rid of chemicals such as:

The problem with pulp is it gets bleached with chlorine to give it a white color. So although they are biodegradable, they do have a core problem, their chemicals.

On top of that, wood pulp uses a lot of water in the manufacturing process which, creates additional waste.

So yes, its better than plastic, but bamboo wins.

Cornstarch

This is cheap, safe to use, and available in large quantities, farmers all over the world grow corn making it very sustainable.

The problem with corn starch was, there wasn’t a replacement for plastic until recently, but luckily that issue has been fixed.

Over time I’m sure we will see an increase in the number of materials used to make diapers eco-friendly.

It’s just a matter of time.

But for now, bamboo looks like the best option; in fact, they have fast become the new sustainable option for many plastic products, including straws and now diapers.

How Long Do Biodegradable Diapers Take To Decompose?

There seem to be a few grey areas around how long it takes for biodegradable diapers to decompose, mainly because they end up in landfill sites.

Because they’re usually chucked in the bin and sent to a landfill site. So you’ll find it can take up to 50 years before they decompose or if they decompose.

You might be thinking, what’s the point then?

Well, to start with, it’s a lot better than the 500 years most disposable diapers will be around fot.

Just think about that for a second.

It’s likely, the diapers you use on your child will still be around when your great, great, great, great-grandchild is alive. To be honest, I could probably chuck a couple more “greats” in there before they actually degraded.

So, 50 years is nothing in the scheme of things. But, what if we disposed of them correctly? Would it make a difference?

Yes, it makes a massive difference. Fifty years could go down to two or three months to fully decompose.

Sounds good, right?

How Do You Properly Dispose Of Biodegradable Diapers?

Composting is a great way of reducing the amount of trash that ends up in landfill sites, I mentioned earlier that the average baby uses around 7,000 diapers in their lifetime.

So, by composting, you can save landfills becoming overrun by diapers.

But here’s the problem:

You can only compost wet diapers, especially if you’re sending it to a commercial compost setting, they don’t like taking soiled diapers. If you have any soiled diapers, they should go in the trash as usual unless you were planing on home composting.

Composting your diapers is simple and takes little effort. If your home composting, wait until you have a couple of days worth.

Once you’ve saved your biodegradable diapers for a couple of days, you’ll need to remove any pieces that look like plastic.

Discard the PLastic parts in most eco-friendly way you can. Once this is done, you need to help break down the fibers of the diapers with a shovel. The diapers should degrade within a month or so, ready to feed your plants or whatever you use the compost for.

But, what about commercial composting?

At one point in time, commercial composting wasn’t a thing. But more recently, there has been an increase in cities taking part. But not all cities have there own composting units, to find out, then a quick google search will do the trick.

For a more earth-friendly alternative, start composting your diapers, but please make sure you remove any plastic beforehand.

Summary

There you go five biodegradable diapers that will help you save the planet and your baby’s future. But remember, before making your decision, there are a few things you need to look out for:

You need to think about how you need your diapers to perform, are you looking for comfort (I’m sure you are) if so bamboo or wood pulp will be the option for you. But, if you’re looking for a sustainable option than you might choose to go for cornstarch or bamboo.

Equally as important is the sizes, by now you should have read my reviews, if you haven’t, don’t worry, I’ll explain now. Some of the diapers had sizing issues, which meant parents found the diaper was a little too big for there baby.

Make sure you check what other people are saying, it’s a great way to discover some first-hand experience.

I’d also check how absorbent the diapers are. If your baby has a particularly heavy flow, then it will defiantly benefit you; to avoid this double-check their star rating. During my research, I found bamboo and the pulp diapers to perform the best in keeping your baby dry and absorbing urine.

You might also check if the diapers you are about to purchase are leakproof. The Majority of diapers claim to be leakproof, but, unfortunately, some don’t cut the mustard or as the saying goes. Leaky diapers cause wet and smelly clothes, which I’m sure you don’t want!

Lastly, check for toxins; it’s one of the main reasons people opt to go biodegradable. Chlorine and phthalates can cause your baby discomfort. If your baby has sensitive skin, I’d highly recommend getting a set of diapers that do not use chlorine or other harmful chemicals.

That’s all I’ve got for you in this installment, but I’d love to hear what you think. If you have any questions or you think I’ve missed something out then comment below and I’ll get back to you!

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If you looking for a more environmentally friendly swim diaper, why not go for one of the best reusable swim diapers on the market?