Green Living

4 Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Disposable Diapers

BY MOLLY RESSLER

It’s a fact that babies go through a lot of diapers. And we’re talking A LOT. From age 0-3, the average baby will go through up to 7,000 diapers. That means we’re throwing an estimated 20 billion disposable diapers into the trash every year in the U.S. Diapers are the third largest contributor to U.S. landfill sites in volume where they take 500+ years to break down. This means that your baby’s diapers will outlive you, your children, and even your greatgreat-great grandchildren.

So, what’s an eco-conscious parent to do? For Santa Cruz families, there are 4 eco-friendly alternatives to disposables. Here’s what you need to know about each of these approaches so you can enter parenthood with a well-stocked changing table that’s also good for the planet.

ELIMINATION COMMUNICATION: Toilet-training from the get-go

Elimination Communication or EC is a diapering approach that encourages your baby to go pee and poop in the toilet from as early as birth. It’s important to note that you will still need to use some diapers for sleeping, in the car, and other away-from-home situations.

EC requires lots of close observation to learn your baby’s cues (great bonding time!), patience, and an openness to things getting a bit messy. Check out the San Francisco-based Diaper Free Collective for free resources and an online support group.

CLOTH DIAPERS: The way grandma did diapers

The world of cloth diapers has come a long way since they were first massproduced back in 1887. Today, you have so many cloth diaper “systems” to choose from, it can make your head spin. There’s also the question of how to wash them and whether or not they’re actually better for the environment than disposables. The unfortunate truth is that in most households the difference in greenhouse gas emissions between cloth and disposables is insignificant, and in some cases, disposables have an even lower carbon footprint.

To make cloth diapers a truly green option, you will need to upgrade to an energy efficient washer and dryer, use second hand cloth diapers, never wash above 140 degrees F, and line dry whenever possible. For a detailed breakdown of all the cloth diapering systems and step-bystep instructions for washing, check out Cloth Diapers for Beginners.

Plant-based disposables

Plant-based disposables are convenient and good for baby’s sensitive skin. They don’t use petroleum-based products or potentially harmful chemicals like conventional disposables. Parents love that most are hypoallergenic which means they don’t contain any fragrances, dyes or lotions which can irritate sensitive skin. Plant-based diapers are also typically free of phthalates but always look for brands that say “phthalate free.” Some of these diapers even claim to be biodegradable, but this is only true if you use a composting service specifically designed to handle diapers and human waste.

Plant-based disposables with a compostable diaper service

If you love the idea of the convenience of disposables but wish your baby’s diapers didn’t have to sit in a landfill for 500+ years, you’re in luck. Here in Santa Cruz, REDYPER Powered by EarthBaby offers weekly diaper delivery, pickup, and composting to families who live within their designated service areas.

Your baby’s diapers and wipes (choose from two plant-based brands, DYPER and Nurture) are turned to dirt in just 14 weeks at a commercial composting facility based in the South Bay. Collectively, thousands of families across the Bay Area are turning 14 tons of diapers into nutrient-rich soil every single week. This soil is then used for landscaping, sod growing, and roadside plantation projects. (It’s important to note that diapers must be composted through a licensed commercial composting facility and cannot be put in your home compost or green bin due to the presence of harmful bacteria in human waste.)

Choosing the right kind of diaper is an important decision and is a matter of baby’s comfort, your personal preference, time constraints, budget, and for some, environmental impact. Whatever approach you choose, know that there are plenty of online resources and local organizations available to help you prepare and find the best choice for your family.

Choosing the right kind of diaper is an important decision and is a matter of baby’s comfort, your personal preference, time constraints, budget, and for some, environmental impact.

 Molly Ressler is a Santa Cruz mama and the marketing director for REDYPER™ Powered by EarthBaby, a Bay Area-based diaper composting service. In her role, she educates parents and caregivers about the environmental and health impacts of conventional disposable diapers. She also heads their Change Champion program, partnering with nonprofits and like-minded businesses to multiply REDYPER’s impact and provide diapers and other resources to families in need. Find out more at earth-baby.com.

BY CARMEN CLARK

 Carmen has been an on and off resident of Santa Cruz County for 33 years, making Felton home for the last 18. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her art shop and Maker’s Space, Crooked Beauty, teaching art and craft classes to people of all ages and abilities.

Beth Lillienthal, Mama Extraordinaire

Beth has been to a lot of one-yearold parties, and often when she leaves her job, people have tears in their eyes, tears of gratitude, and tears of sadness. They don’t want her to go. As a postpartum doula, Beth is a professional nurturer. She explains that doulas have areas of expertise or strengths that help mothers and the whole family get used to a new baby in the house. Beth offers breastfeeding counseling and is a lactation consultant. She visits the home as a support to the family, whether for an hour at a time or a full day; she’ll counsel on baby soothing, breastfeeding, train partners on how to help new moms, cook, and sometimes just listen to the parents. Thus, when the baby turns one, the family is eager to invite the person that guided them through those first few days, weeks, or months.

Being a doula affords Beth some key advantages; As an independent contractor, she has the ability to set her own schedule, and with two kids at school and being a volunteer extraordinaire, this has worked in her family’s favor. Now, as she faces her future as an empty nester, she wonders how her schedule will change. With kid number two graduating this year, she’s aware that getting some of that baby love will be a balm for the emptiness at home.

As if being a mother to her own, a supporter to other mothers and a constant volunteer at the kids’ schools wasn’t enough, Beth spends time at the Sienna House, where pregnant women, often leaving bad situations, can go and be safe. The Sienna House offers shelter doulas services every step of the way, and they have programs for women to enroll in higher education, work training, and steady housing. The women have the opportunity to stay at the shelter for a year as they pick up their lives. For as gratifying as Beth’s job is on any level, this is where her support has the most impact. Often the women at the Sienna House have never been nurtured themselves, much less nurtured someone else; there is mistrust and fear built into tall walls that Beth and her co-workers steadily take down, brick by brick, with unconditional support and counseling. By showing up consistently, the women begin to trust, and soften into their new role as mother. Because the program is a year long, Beth enjoys creating a deeper connection with the women and seeing the changes they make to better their lives and their babies’ lives. Beth keeps in touch with some of the women when they leave Sienna House; she will even babysit if they’re taking finals at Cabrillo. “It’s sweet to see them grow and change and be successful,” says Beth.

Beth hopes her example of service, both in her paid position and as a volunteer shows her children what the act of giving can have on the community, on an individual.

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