How Long does it Take for One Diaper to Decompose?

The world is gradually becoming more aware of the harmful impacts of plastic and other non-biodegradable compounds. People are more knowledgeable than ever before making good, eco-friendly choices like wooden straws, disposable cutlery, and eco-friendly makeup. One such environment-friendly choice is biodegradable diapers and within the last decade, many people have shifted to them from conventional diapers. But the truth is despite the environment-friendly claims like “green”, “natural” and “pure”, most of the one-time-use diapers are not fully biodegradable and would land up in a place where all their plastic-containing diapers do and that is - a landfill. this is why it is important to understand the components of the diapers before taking the decision of which start using. 

A large part of the world’s population uses diapers but nobody ever thinks if these diapers will ever decompose. You will be surprised to see how long a one-time diaper takes to decompose fully as you reach the end of the article.  

• What is a Diaper made of? 

Let’s first have a look at what diapers are made of. A conventional diaper has three layers: 

• Outer waterproof shell 
• Middle absorbent core 
• Inner-most Layer 

The innermost layer is the part that touches the baby’s skin and makes the bulk of the diaper. Next is the absorbent core which contains absorbent liquids to trap the fluids inside the diaper. The most commonly used liquids are SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer) along with fluff. The fluff is made of wheat or corn or sometimes wood pulp. The outer waterproof layer is made of petroleum plastic and often few chemicals. Even in few diapers, the outermost layer is made of plant-based plastic, it still remains non-recyclable. 

• Harmful Chemicals in the Diapers: 

Many diaper companies do not like to reveal what chemicals they use in the diapers. One such chemical is Tributylin- a chemical that prevents the growth of bacteria. The truth is this chemical is harmful to humans as well as animals. Moreover, this chemical remains in the ecosystem and mostly goes back to our foods because of the way systems work. This is one such example. There are many other chemicals used in the diaper like petroleum and dioxins. Petroleum is used in the diapers that prevent them from leakage which happens to be a VOC (Volatile Organic Compound). These chemicals when exposed to heat become volatile and become a part of the air that we breathe in. likewise the dioxin found frequently in diapers is categorized as a highly toxic and high-grade environment-friendly chemical. 

• How long does a Diaper take to Decompose? 

After the brief idea of the chemicals found in the diapers, it’s time we address the elephant in the room. In a list of daily use things, you will be shocked to see that the diapers come at the end of the list which means they are the worst. According to research, a conventional diaper takes up to 500 years to decompose fully. Yes, it’s true!! If that doesn’t convince you to change your opinion and shift to eco-friendly choices, I don’t know what will. 

• An ecofriendly alternative to traditional diaper  

After learning all these facts from diapers, we decided to offer an eco-friendly option, that takes care of your baby and the environment. 

Our diapers:

• Decompose within  3 to 6 years
• 80% Biodegradable
• Does not have harmful chemicals
• Free of bleach, fragrances, latex
• Premium softness
•  Hypoallergenic.

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