It’s no secret that babies require a lot of care and a lot of products. It’s also not exactly breaking news that the earth and everyone on it is in the midst of the fight of our lives right now against a changing climate caused primarily by the carbon footprint of humans over the years. So as we go about our everyday lives, many of us are searching for ways to reduce our individual carbon footprints. And though the convenience of many baby products can be hard to turn down, a closer look into the ways those products affect the earth might have you searching for more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Diapers, wet wipes, and baby formula are all part of a billion dollar baby care industry that contributes to climate change each year. But, of course, where would we be without them? Babies are messy, there’s no denying it, and keeping your baby (and your home) clean requires a lot of products that are often single-use and end up in landfills, sewers, lakes, rivers, or the ocean. Fortunately, many brands are making it their mission to create a more environmentally friendly baby care industry, beginning with individual products that are made with the earth in mind. From truly flushable baby wipes (emphasis on truly, but we’ll get into that later) to plastic-free diaper packaging, there are products available now that allow you to care for your baby while leaving behind the smallest carbon footprint possible. And a look into how traditional baby products are affecting the earth might just be enough to convince you to try out a new brand and take the environment’s side today.
Wet Wipes & Diapers: More Than Meets the Eye
It’s easy to believe that baby wipes are simply like toilet paper and water, and with this belief, one would expect them to be biodegradable. Unfortunately, that’s not exactly the case. Upwards of three quarters of baby wipes produced are not biodegradable, and it’s largely due to one ingredient you might not expect to be in those soft, wet wipes: plastic.
Plastic, Fibers, and Breaking Down
Baby wipes are never going to truly be just paper and water, as paper would obviously dissolve. But the wipes that contain plastic (again, an estimated three quarters of the wipes out there) will never fully break down. They end up in landfills or sewers, then eventually in other bodies of water. In this process, there is some breakdown – but not in a good way. Instead, they release millions of microplastic particles into the environment, damaging our soils and our seas and our environment. In some places, baby wipes are causing a major sewer blockage issue (there are videos of this online that are just as gross as you might imagine); in others, they’re adding to the tons of plastic that’s already a major issue in our oceans. And if you want to think about the circle of life, consider the plastics from baby wipes that are ending up in the ocean, then being consumed by fish, which are then consumed by us. Do you want to eat plastic from used baby wipes? Something to consider.
Unfortunately, many brands lie about their wipes’ “flushability.” So if you’re not trying to add to the sewage blockage or the plastic in the ocean, then go with a brand that has clearly made a point to be transparent about the materials in its products. These brands typically use other materials, often plant-based ones like wood pulp, that serve the same purpose as plastic does while maintaining their ability to biodegrade. There are several brands like this out there, and if the environment is a main focus of a brand, they’ll make it known.
Toxins and Chemicals
Just like with food, it’s important to look at the ingredients list when you’re picking out your pack of baby wipes or diapers. Selecting an option that claims to be plastic-free is one thing. The toxins and other harmful chemicals are the next part of the battle, and this issue is just as much about protecting your child as it is the environment.
Disposing of a baby wipe or diaper will either send that product to a landfill or into a sewage system, which then may lead to some body of water (rivers, lakes, oceans). If the product contains harmful toxins and chemicals, which are often used for fragrance or sanitizing purposes, those chemicals will seep out of the product and into the landfill or sewage system it’s dumped into. So not only do these products potentially add tons of microplastics to our waterways, but they’re also adding a mix of toxins and chemicals. And as we explained above, if it’s in the water, it’s likely making its way back to us somehow. The same goes for landfills; the less chemicals we can have seeping into our soils, the better. So when choosing diapers or baby wipes, take a long hard look at the ingredients, and remember less is more. Some form of preservative is typically necessary, but it doesn’t have to be a harmful one.
- Avoid: PEGs (polyethylene glycol), siloxanes, silanes, parabens, antibacterials, and fragrances (unless they’re from natural sources, like essential oils).
- Look For: Instead, opt for products that use more natural preservatives like Citric Acid and Sodium Benzoate, and remember that fragrance in these products does more harm than good. Their purpose is cleanliness and safety; they’re not a perfume.
Packaging
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the chemicals and plastic in a product, but it’s also important to look at what the product itself is wrapped up in. That’s right: packaging matters, and more often than not, that packaging is all plastic. Many baby products like diapers and wipes come wrapped up in polyethylene, a synthetic plastic that’s harmful to the environment. If you really want to reduce your carbon footprint, remember that the packaging is a part of the product too, and it has just as much of an effect on the earth. The best solution is to look for packing that’s compostable, recyclable, or that’s already made from recycled materials.
The Bottom Line: Pay Attention
At the end of the day, making the environmentally conscious decision just requires a little bit more attention. Read ingredient lists, examine packaging, and do your research. You can’t necessarily take a brand’s claims at face value, but as we mentioned above, if a brand really cares about making their product eco-friendly, they’ll go out of their way to let you know. And, when in doubt, you can always opt for reusable products (like reusable diapers). They may not be glamorous, but they get the job done and won’t eventually end up in your glass of water.