Eco-friendly nappies and baby wipes: do any actually biodegrade?
Last updated 1 March 2023
Eco-friendly disposable nappies are often seen as an easy, guilt-free alternative to reusable ones. There’s no denying the impact of disposable nappies. Three billion are thrown away every year in the UK. They take an estimated 500 years to decompose. If you wore them as a child, they all still exist somewhere. On learning this I felt fleetingly nostalgic and wanted to track them down to be reunited. Then remembered my mum put me in terry-towelling nappies.
Baby wipes are slightly better in that they ‘only’ take 100 years to break down in landfill. So are eco-friendly single-use nappies and wipes any better? Do they actually biodegrade and can any be home composted?
If you don’t want to use reusables, surely biodegradable nappies are better?
The first thing to know is that there is no 100% biodegradable nappy. The second thing to know is that these partly biodegradable nappies cannot actually biodegrade at any speed in landfill. I’m no science expert but most materials need oxygen for this process to take place. Imagine a nappy in a bin bag in a tightly compacted landfill with millions of bags on top. There’s not much going on there oxygen-wise. In fact, modern landfills are designed to keep oxygen out. As when organic materials decompose they release the potent greenhouse gas, methane – which nobody wants (with the exception of professional flatulist Mr. Methane).
My local tip looks nothing like this.
What about home composting? Can I compost the nappies?
No. It’s not recommended. Poo needs high temperatures to kill harmful bacteria. Even if you removed all the poo beforehand or just composted wet nappies you’d need an enormous site to deal with the amount that a baby gets through. You would also have to separate out the non-biodegradable bits (good luck with that). Only industrial composting facilities are equipped to deal with nappies and reach the high temperatures required.
okay great! Where’s my nearest industrial composter?
Well… nowhere. There is currently no system in place in the U.K. for nappies to be taken to industrial composting facilities. It does exist in other countries. There are compostable nappy services in the U.S.A., Canada and Germany where dirty nappies are collected and composted. But none here. Yet. This will hopefully change in the future and eco-friendly nappy brand Mama Bamboo is working towards this goal.
Another nappy brand, Pura, have partnered with Nappicyle, which collects dirty nappies and recycles them into road surfaces, notice boards for schools and offices and materials for affordable houses. I don’t know about you but I would love to see my child’s dirty nappy memorialised on a notice board with notes about meetings and packed lunches. Nappicycle currently only operate in Wales, but they are hoping to roll this out to the rest of the U.K.
Not quite what I meant when I typed in ‘green baby’.
why am I spending extra money on eco-friendly nappies then?
Aside from the biodegradable issues, there are still many reasons to choose eco-friendly nappies. They are usually produced with a low environmental impact, made from renewable, sustainable materials and have recycled and recyclable packaging. So there are still ways to assuage any guilt you feel about that time you put a peanut butter jar in the bin as you couldn’t face washing it out.
and what about eco-friendly nappy sacks and baby wipes?
Baby wipes and nappy sacks can be 100% biodegradable but the problem remains that it’s hard for them to biodegrade quickly in landfill. Many eco alternatives are plastic-free though, which is better as they won’t be releasing microplastics and other toxic material into the environment as they decompose.
The good news is eco-friendly nappy sacks and baby wipes can be composted, where they can break down in as little as 12 weeks. Hooray! You should still make sure no poo is put in your home compost though. And a 100% compostable nappy sack is fairly useless in home compost if the nappy inside can’t be composted. Boo!
I’m getting a bit confused. what is the difference between compostable and biodegradable?
Biodegradable means that it will eventually break down into smaller parts that are absorbed by the environment. It’s basically eaten by bacteria and other living organisms. It can take any length of time, depending on the material and the conditions, and it’s not always kind to the planet. For example, anything containing plastic will release polluting microplastics.
Items that are compostable are made from completely organic materials that can break down quickly in the right conditions.
All compostable items are also biodegradable. They will take longer to decompose in landfill but they will not release any toxic waste.
what about cotton wool? is this an eco-friendly alternative to any kind of baby wipe?
100% cotton wool can be composted, as long as there’s no poo. It also can’t be composted if it’s contaminated with any synthetic products like nail varnish remover or mascara.
It is biodegradable but will decompose slowly in landfill. And if any synthetic fibres have been added, they will not fully degrade. In terms of ecological impact, cotton is not a very sustainable material as it requires a huge amount of water to grow.
Hmmm. Okay. so which are the best eco-friendly nappies, wipes and sacks to buy?
Here are seven of the main brands and their eco-credentials. This list was last updated on 28 February 2024.
If you buy through a link, I may earn a small commission. 5% of any profit will be donated to Baby Banks across the U.K. to help parents-in-need with baby essentials.
1. Mum & you
What changing products do they have? Nappies and wipes.
Cruelty-free? Yes
Nappies:
The core is made using wood pulp from certified sustainable forestry
30% biodegradable
100% recyclable packaging with 30% recycled content
Wipes:
100% biodegradable. They can biodegrade in as little as 15 days even in landfill. This has been tested alongside a control sample in controlled conditions which simulated landfill.
Suitable for home composting
Plastic-free. They are made from sustainably sourced naturally derived viscose.
100% recyclable packaging. It can be recycled with carrier bags recycling at larger supermarkets.
99.4% water and hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested
2. Eco by Naty
What changing products do they have? Nappies, wet wipes and nappy sacks.
Cruelty-free? Yes
Nappies:
Only plant-based materials touch the baby’s skin and the core is made from 100% FSC-certified wood pulp.
60% biodegradable
Packaging sourced from renewable materials
Unscented wipes:
100% compostable in 12 weeks. They can be home composted.
Plastic-free
Hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested
Nappy sacks:
Made from GM-free cornstarch film, which is 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable.
3. mama bamboo
What changing products do they have? Nappies, wipes and nappy sacks.
Cruelty-free? Yes.
Anything else worth noting: They carbon offset their shipping. They are helping work towards widespread industrial nappy composting in the U.K.
Nappies:
Made from sustainably sourced bamboo fibres and chlorine-free wood pulp. The bamboo materials are produced in such a way that the naturally antibacterial properties are retained. Bamboo is also very soft, absorbent, breathable and temperature-regulating.
The bamboo layers, pulp core and inner lining are 100% biodegradable. In total, the nappy is 80% biodegradable.
100% compostable packaging.
Wipes:
Made from bamboo with its natural antibacterial properties. This may reduce the chances of nasty nappy rash and irritation.
Plastic-free
100% compostable in 3 months in home compost.
Contain 99.4% purified water.
When you buy in bulk the box is made from recycled FSC-certified cardboard.
Nappy sacks:
100% home compostable in just 30 days.
4. Kit + kin
What changing products do they have? Nappies, wipes and nappy sacks.
Cruelty-free? Yes.
Anything else worth noting: ·For every 10 customers that buy a nappy subscription they “fund the purchase and protection of one acre of tropical rainforest through the World Land Trust (WLT).” They also make a donation to the WLT for every product bought from their website or retail partners.
Their focus is on sustainability not biodegradability because they can’t guarantee that the perfect landfill conditions will exist for a biodegradable product to break down quickly. They are working on a longer-term solution of nappies being collected and recycled.
Nappies:
Anything that comes into contact with a baby’s skin is sustainable plant-based material.
Around 75% is biodegradable
100% sustainable packaging
Produced in a carbon-neutral factory
Wipes:
100% natural plant-based cellulose which will completely biodegrade.
Plastic-free
99% water
Hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested
Nappy sacks:
Made from 100% sustainable GM-free corn-based film
100% compostable
Minimal, recyclable packaging
5. Pura
What changing products do they have? Nappies and wipes.
Cruelty-free? They are not certified cruelty-free. The website states their wipes are not tested on animals.
Anything else worth noting: Pura has partnered up with Nappicycle and is attempting to increase nappy recycling in the U.K. They are also supporters of the Woodland Trust, The Hygiene Bank and the NSPCC.
Nappies:
Made from soft organic cotton with an absorbent core of 100% FSC-certified natural plant fibres.
They don’t make any biodegradable claims and instead aim to use renewable materials as much as possible.
Carbon-neutral manufacturing with 100% green electricity and zero production waste.
The packaging can be recycled with carrier bags recycling at larger supermarkets.
Allergy UK accredited
Wipes:
Plastic-free, 100% biodegradable and compostable
Recyclable packaging
99% water
Flushable wipes are also available that break down like toilet paper and are accredited by Water UK as ‘fine to flush’.
6. Bambo Nature
What changing products do they have? Nappies and wipes.
Cruelty-free? They are not certified cruelty-free. The website states their wipes contain no ingredients of animal origin.
Anything else worth noting: This is a family-owned Danish company and their products. Their products are certified as eco-friendly by the Nordic Eco Label and EU Eco Label. 85.4% of the waste from their Danish production facility was recycled in 2019.
Nappies:
Made from responsibly resourced materials.
Free from toxins and perfumes.
They don’t make any biodegradable claims.
The packaging is made from responsibly sourced Scandinavian FSC-certified paper
Certified by the Danish Asthma and Allergy label
Wipes:
Plastic-free and biodegradable.
Perfume-free and dermatologically tested.
Certified vegan.
7. Beaming Baby
What changing products do they have? Nappies, wipes and nappy sacks.
Cruelty-free? Yes.
Anything else worth noting: Beaming Baby claim to have the world’s most biodegradable nappy. Over 75% is biodegradable.
Nappies:
They have a breathable cotton and cornstarch fibre top sheet to keep your baby dry and free from nappy rash. They offer your money back if your baby has nappy rash in the first seven days.
Fragrance-free and free from any harsh chemicals.
Wipes:
Plastic-free and biodegradable.
With organic aloe vera to soothe.
Made from cellulose.
100% recyclable packaging.
Nappy sacks:
100% biodegradable and can also be composted.
Available with or without fragrance.
8. Ecoriginals
What changing products do they have? Nappies and wipes.
Cruelty-free?
Anything else worth noting: Their nappies are over 90% biodegradable and they are working towards 100%. They use 100% paper packaging. It is a carbon-neutral company and their environmental goals include planting trees and upcycling plastic bottles.
Nappies:
They are over 90% plant-based and these natural fibres help avoid nappy rash.
The only materials in contact with the baby’s skin are cotton, sustainably sourced wood pulp and non-GMO cornstarch.
They use ‘Unique Plantcell Technology’ for excellent absorbency.
Wipes:
The wipes are made from sustainable bamboo.
100% biodegradable and they can also be home composted (but not ones used with poo).
They are three types - one with added purified water, one with organic goat’s milk and one with Manuka honey.
Of course, if you want to lessen your environmental footprint, you could also use reusable nappies and baby wipes. There has been some debate over how much better they are when you factor in the energy used for all the washing and drying. But the general consensus is that this is better than the huge landfill problem. If you are interested in reusable nappies you can find the pros and cons of the best ones to try here. And there are two excellent reusable options in this list of 10 of the best baby wipes.
If reusables are not for you, it seems that the best thing to do is buy plastic-free wipes, nappies and sacks. And if all this is making your brain boggle, don’t worry. It should be at least 50 years before you need to worry about the biodegradable nature of incontinence pants.