Ready for some heavy news? The average baby will go through 1,500-1,800 diapers a year! Traditional diapers are made out of society’s go-to resource, you guessed it, plastic.
Many sustainability experts and eco-conscious parents suggest that cloth diapering is the best alternative to traditional disposable diapers. While cloth diapers are an ideal alternative to disposable diapers, they’re certainly not the only alternative.
Some of you might not be interested in devoting the time to cleaning cloth diapers or perhaps the idea of cleaning pee and poop out of diapers grosses you out. I totally get it. Cloth diapers are just not for everyone and that’s okay!
At the time of writing this, April 2022, no diapers on the market are 100% biodegradable, yet. Here’s a list of five of the best disposable diaper brands incorporating eco-conscious materials into their products.
Materials | wood pulp & polyester
Price | $95 for 4 week supply
Subscription | $85/month
What makes Coterie best for your baby?
I’ve used these on a newborn in the past and I have to say, I wish I had my own child to use them on every day! The softness of these diapers is so lovely, it feels like you’re touching fabric. They’re also highly absorbent which tends to be an important quality for any diaper. No one likes leaky diapers.
What makes their diapers eco-conscious?
These diapers are made with 25% plant-based materials. That’s not a huge percentage but it’s considerably better than your average commercial brand diaper.
What sustainability practices does the company have in place?
Coterie donates 1% of all their diaper sales to Diaper Recycling Technology (DRT), a company developing technology with the ability to recover 95% of raw materials produced from a used diaper. DRT is also working to create a special camera that can identify diapers within waste steams.
Where are Coterie diapers made?
They are manufactured in Canada.
Where can you purchase Coterie diapers?
Currently, Coterie diapers can be purchased directly from their site. Their most popular sizes, 3-5, can also be found at your local Whole Foods.
Does Coterie offer sample/trial packs?
You can try out a trial pack of 10 diapers for about $14.50 ($7 for diapers, $7.50 for shipping). With their trial, you have the option of choosing two different sizes (5 of each size or 10 of one size).
Materials | wood pulp & plant-based materials
Price | $10-15/pack
Subscription | ~$40-70/month
What makes Eco by Naty best for your baby?
Eco by Naty is trending these days! Probably because these diapers are designed without plastic or harsh chemicals which creates an absorbent and breathable diaper for your baby.
What makes their diapers eco-conscious?
Eco by Naty creates diapers that contain 0% oil-based plastic. Instead, they use wood pulp and plant-based materials within each section of the diaper.
What sustainability practices does the company have in place?
What’s really impressive about Eco by Naty is that the company has been around since 1994 but they refuse to patent their diaper. Their reason is, they actually want more diaper businesses to adopt their model! The founder believes that the more eco-conscious diaper brands on the market, the better off the planet. Additionally, their diaper packaging is made with plant-based material that's certified by TÜV Austria.
Where are Eco by Naty diapers made?
Naty diapers are manufactured in China.
Where can you purchase Naty diapers?
Eco by Naty can be purchased directly on their website or on Amazon. Recently, the company established a partnership with Target. While their diapers aren’t sold in Target stores yet, you can add them to your online Target order.
Does Eco by Naty offer trial/sample packs? A quick google search of ‘Eco by Naty trial’ suggests that they do offer a trial pack. However, it appears that this program isn’t open to U.S. residents currently. This is a Swedish based company so it’s likely the trial program is open to Swedish and EU residents.
Materials | viscose fibers from bamboo & wood pulp
Price | ~$25/pack
Subscription | ~$80/month
What makes Dyper best for your baby?
Dyper prides their diaper in safety. Similar to other eco-conscious diapers, Dyper doesn’t use any perfumes, chlorine, latex, lotion, inks, alcohol, TBT or Phthalates. However, Dyper diapers have a Standard 100 certification by OEKO TEX to back up their claims. Upon checkout, you can choose either a regular or wide-fit diaper style. For the convenience of parents, Dyper has an SOS feature available to regular subscribers. This can come in handy if, say, you happen to underestimate the number of diapers your baby will go through as a newborn; the SOS button will deliver you a pack within 4 hours!
How’s that for convenience?
What makes their diapers eco-conscious?
Both the top and back sheets of the diapers are 100% viscose made from bamboo fibers.
What sustainability practices does the company have in place?
Dyper’s, ReDyper Program, makes the company especially unique. Adding this feature to your subscription allows you to collect and ship your baby’s soiled diapers to Terracycle for proper composting. Like me, you might be thinking- is it actually better for the environment to ship heavy, smelly diapers full of pee and poop across the country just for composting? Terracycle says yes! Under the company’s service, dirty diapers are composted in 14 weeks. The resulting compost is then reused for landscaping projects and sod growing.
Where are Dyper diapers made?
Dyper diapers are manufactured in China
Where can you purchase Dyper diapers?
You can order Dyper diapers right from their website. They can also be found on Amazon, Thrive Market, or Grove. If you have a baby registry, Baby List, makes it easy for expecting parents to add Dyper diapers to their registry.
Does Dyper offer sample/trial packs?
They do have a sample pack which includes three diapers and a shipping fee of $6.
Tip: I have used this brand on a couple kids in my daycare class and they worked quite well! I never noticed diaper rashes on any of the kiddos and they never soaked through their pants. The only time we experienced leaks was when a child was working on potty training and wore diapers just at nap time. For older toddlers, maybe consider an overnight diaper for periods of sleep.
Materials | bamboo fibers
Price | ~$15/pack
Subscription | ~$40/month
What makes Andy Pandy best for your baby?
Andy Pandy diapers use bamboo fibers that are highly absorbent and naturally wick away moisture, preventing diaper rash.
What makes their diapers eco-conscious?
The family-owned company states that due to their heavy reliance on bamboo fibers, their diapers are about 87% biodegradable.
What sustainability practices does the company have in place?
The main sustainability practice that Andy Pandy endorses is its participation in the Eden Reforestation Project. Under this partnership, Andy Pandy plants two trees per item purchased. It appears that the company also donates a portion of its profits to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, although it’s unclear how much.
Where are Andy Pany diapers made?
Andy Pandy diapers are manufactured in Canada.
Where can you purchase Andy Pandy diapers?
Does Andy Pandy offer sample/trial packs?
They do offer a sample pack, which includes 6 diapers. But, this is a popular offer and it’s often sold out. For this reason, I’ve been unable to view the price of the sample pack. I will reach out to the brand for more info!
Materials | cotton, wood-pulp, non-GMO corn starch
Price | $20/pack
Subscription | ~$80/month
What makes Ecoriginals best for your baby?
Ecoriginals relies on its unique plant-cell technology to ensure absorbency and 12 hours leak free. Although, I hope most of you will change your little one’s diaper more often than every 12 hours.
What makes their diapers eco-conscious?
Ecoriginals diapers are made out of 90% plant-based and biodegradable materials. The only parts that aren’t biodegradable are the sticky tabs and the leg elastic.
What sustainability practices does the company have in place?
Ecoriginals proudly presents its brand as the world’s first plastic neutral diaper company. What that means is that with every order, they reclaim 25 plastic bottles from the ocean, plant a tree, and offset 10 kg of carbon emissions by installing solar panels. Additionally, Ecoriginals is the only diaper company that packages its diapers in home compostable packaging.
Where are Ecoriginals made?
Ecoriginals are manufactured in New Zealand using renewable energy.
Where can you purchase Ecoriginals?
Does Ecoriginals offer sample/trial packs?
Yes. Their trial pack includes a full pack of diapers (actual number of diapers vary by size you select- newborn comes with 30), three packs of home compostable wipes, and a permanent 25% discount if you choose to subscribe. You get can get all of that for $20 and free shipping which is a pretty good deal! *definitely check out the size chart before ordering though because a pack of 30 diapers is a big trial commitment*
Note on Diaper Sizing
These are all great brands to choose from! Each of them has hundreds of positive reviews. The only critiques I’ve found with any of the brands have been around sizing. It’s important to keep in mind that every diaper brand is different. It’s natural for sizes to run differently from company to company.
For any readers out there that have menstruated, think back to having to buy disposable sanitary pads at Target for the first time… trial and (possibly embarrassing or inconvenient) error taught you which brand carried the size that fit you best. (Post about sanitary pad brands using eco-friendly materials soon!)
The trial offers or sample packs are a simple way to test out what works best for your family. Ideally, you want to avoid ending up with boxes of diapers sitting in the nursery for months because you: (a) never get around to exchanging them for the right size (b) feel guilty for spending the extra money on them/getting the wrong size so they just sit there even though your kid is now potty trained (c) both.
An alternative to buying trial packs is to ask friends with babies if they use eco-friendly diapers. If they do, see if they’re willing to give you a couple to try out! Another option is to see if someone nearby is willing to spare a few diapers in your local Buy Nothing or parent-centered Facebook group.
If you already know your friend is using eco-friendly diapers and you’re uncomfortable asking to bum one, try this: schedule a play date with them at their house. Pick up your baby and say, “wow someone needs a diaper change.” Frantically check your diaper bag and say, “shoot I forgot my diapers!”
Why Are Eco-friendly Diapers So Expensive?
Let’s be honest here, diapers using eco-friendly materials are notably more expensive than your average diaper. Well, 95% of conventional diapers are using large qualities of plastics to produce their diapers. Plastic is a lot cheaper to manufacture in large quantities than materials like bamboo or wood pulp.
See where I’m going with this?
Yes, you will have to dish out some extra money for these brands but I think it’s worth it for the sake of reducing diaper waste and diaper rashes!
Frugal Tip: Cost should not deter your family from reducing waste or having safe diapers for your baby’s skin! All families should have access to eco-friendly resources. You can use apps like Shopkick, Evidation, Fetch Rewards, Ibotta, or Receipt Hog to rack up points that can be converted to gift cards (including Amazon and Target) or Paypal payments. I recommend stacking up as many points as possible on lots of these apps and budgeting all earnings towards your diaper fund. I might not have a child to purchase diapers for, but I personally use these apps and others to offset the higher costs of trying to be a sustainable consumer.
If you’ve tried these brands, share your experience in the comments below or message me directly. Your thoughts will be sure to help other eco-conscious parents make mindful memories!
Sincerely, Briesh
P.S. Stay Conscious + Curious
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