What are Non-Toxic Diapers?
What are Non-Toxic Diapers?
Non-toxic diapers are designed to be safer, gentler, and healthier for babies compared to conventional diapers. Mainstream diapers often contain synthetic petrochemical-derived materials, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, and super absorbent polymers like sodium polyacrylate. However, scientific papers have shown that disposable diapers can contain toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, endocrine-disrupting phthalates, and heavy metals.
What is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing, Is a marketing term for conveying a false impression about how a company’s products are environmentally sound. The uses of these marketing buzzwords and misleading claims make their products appear safer or more natural than they actually are. And it has become a significant issue in the diaper industry. Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring the safety of their products, but the lack of regulation and oversight allows potentially harmful chemicals to be present in diapers. Therefore, it is crucial for consumers to research and vet diaper brands to ensure they are making safe choices for their babies.
What does Diapers contain?
Disposable diapers consist of five main parts: the topsheet, backsheet, core, leg cuffs, and closing tabs. The topsheet and backsheet, which touch the baby's skin and clothes/environment respectively, are mainly made of plastic materials like polypropylene and polyethylene. These same plastic materials are also used in the leg cuffs and closing tabs.
Ingredient Checklist for Non-Toxic Diapers
When choosing non-toxic diapers, it is essential to consider the transparency, safety, and sustainability of the brand. Look for brands that can back up their claims via in-detail ingredient lists as evidence and use more plant-derived materials instead of petroleum derivatives.
Chlorine
Chlorine is commonly used to whiten paper liners and wood pulp in diapers. However, this method can result in the production of a harmful substance known as Dioxin in the diaper and its release into the environment during the manufacturing bleaching process. Dioxins are carcinogenic compounds linked with various health issues for babies.
Phthalates
It primarily used in plastics, and cosmetics, where they act as lubricators that cause early puberty, autism, obesity, and birth defects. It also directly disrupts hormones, so it is crucial to avoid these elements in children’s private products! We might not see phthalates on a label but most often they are included in “fragrances” or “perfumes”.
Allergens and irritants fragrance, lotions, and dyes. Most of the time these elements include nasty chemicals such as TBT, parabens, and latex. Lotions could cause diaper rash, and redness, especially if your little one has sensitive skin. Dyes and inks contain heavy metals which can potentially cause allergic reactions.
Ingredients List to Avoid in Baby Diapers
-Phthalates -Chlorine -Bleaching/ Dioxins -TBT (tributyl-tin) -Parabens -Latex -SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer), -VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) -Sodium polyacrylate -Petroleum -Lotions -Dyes and Inks -Fragrances
What are the criteria for scoring diapers based on their toxicity?
The toxicologist used three criteria to score the diaper brands: ingredients, diaper features, and brand and marketing. The ingredients category assessed transparency, safety, and the source or starting material of the diapers. The diaper features category looked at the presence of fragrances, lotions, wetness indicators, and inks or dyes used for prints and patterns. The brand and marketing category examined the responsiveness, openness, and substantiation of claims made by the brands.
Bottom-Ranked Brands
Bottom-Ranked Brands
The bottom-ranked brands in terms of safety and sustainability include Hello Bello, Pampers Pure Protection, Millie Moon, and Honest Brand. These brands either did not respond to inquiries or lacked transparency regarding their materials. They used petroleum-derived top sheets, undisclosed wetness indicator chemicals, and unspecified inks or dyes for prints.
Better-Ranked Brands
Brands in the better category include Codery, Kudos, Diaper Brand, Bambo Nature, and Healthy Baby. These brands showed some improvements in safety and transparency. Codery claimed to use TCF pulp and tested their diapers for contaminants. Kudos used a cotton top sheet and had transparent information on their website. Diaper Brand used a bamboo top sheet and had a high percentage of plant-derived materials. Bambo Nature and Healthy Baby also had some positive attributes but had minor drawbacks.
Top-Ranked Brands
The top-ranked brand in terms of safety, transparency, and sustainability is Eco Originals. This brand stood out for not using wetness indicator chemicals, dyes, or inks in their diapers. They also used up to 90% plant-based materials, making them the most sustainable and biodegradable option. Eco Originals demonstrated complete transparency, and responsiveness, and even shared their full test reports, validating their claims. The only improvement suggested for Eco Originals was switching to an organic cotton top sheet.
Final Thoughts
Choosing non-toxic diapers is crucial for protecting babies from potential environmental toxins because we might see the product is pure and clean from the outside but they can be full of potentially harmful toxins. While no brand is perfect, select the brands that prioritize safety, transparency, and sustainability to help us make informed decisions.