UAE | General

Raising eco baby

A nappy takes 500 years to biodegrade. The world uses about half a trillion of them in a year. Go green, buy reuseable diapers. It is cheaper and protects the planet.

  • By Rabab Khan, Community Interactivity Editor
  • Published: 23:06 July 25, 2009
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit:
  • Nine-month-old Layla Jane is a true eco baby. She has worn reusable diapers since the day she was born.

A nappy takes 500 years to biodegrade. The world uses about half a trillion of them in a year. Go green, buy reuseable diapers. It is cheaper and protects the planet. Also feed babies homecooked food, which will shield them from harmful chemicals and save you nearly Dh6,000 a year. Learn more about raising an eco-friendly baby with Gulf News Wipe Out Waste (WoW) campaign.

It's nappy news!

The future looks bleak. The world uses 1.4 billion diapers every day! Are we looking forward to a planet covered with nappies and the occassional cockroach for company? The future stinks.

Have you stopped reading? The plot has just thickened.

Most babies use diapers for at least the first two years of their lives. Parents have to change the diaper several times during the day and the used ones are disposed.

However, what most of these parents are not aware of is the fact that disposable diapers comprise three per cent of solid waste in landfills. According to diapers.com, approximately 18 billion diapers are used every year in the US alone. That figure is almost three times the population of the world.

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Breaking down

After a few hours of processing at the municipal lots, these materials are dumped in landfills. Each diaper has an outer layer of waterproof polypropylene, a form of plastic, which takes up to 500 years to break down.

Another problem that is on the mind of every environmentalist is the waste during the manufacturing process of disposable diapers. Seventy per cent of the diaper is made of paper, which comes from trees. Around 1 billion trees around the globe are cut down yearly in order to manufacture disposable diapers.

Tree production requires plant nutrients, pesticide, mechanical energy and water. It costs the world around $50million (Dh183.5million) to replant forests and operate landfills.

Apart from hurting the environment, parents also splurge on diaper brands. The average baby uses around 5,000 diapers during the first two years. Even if each diaper costs Dh1, that would amount to Dh5,000 on just baby diapers. If the necessity costs so much, imagine how much we spend on luxury items.

The best alternative is reusable diapers. Parents could save on costs, and instinctively help the environment.

Studies reveal that disposable diapers use up to 10 times more resources than reusable diapers such as paper. They also produce 70 per cent more solid waste.

A British environmental study conducted in 2008 stated that washing, line drying and using the reusable diapers for a second child would decrease the impact of global warming by 40 per cent. It is as good as negating the effect of 200 kilograms of carbon dioxide over a period of two and a half years.

Once the diaper has been used, the soiled insert can be thrown and the diaper washed.

Money

Parents can save a lot of money. A pack of twenty reusable diapers, along with a potty trainer, costs Dh1,700.

If you compare the costs of reusable to disposable, you'll notice a vast saving. Most parents will need around twenty reusable diapers per child. This means, a parent can save up to Dh3,300 over a course of 24 months.

In order to save on water costs, parents can stack the soiled diapers in a bucket, and wash them all at once.

In comparison to disposable diapers, it takes a reusable diaper only six months to decompose. However, the diaper has been used several times on at least one child, thus living its life to the fullest - literally.

Have your say
Were you aware of the environmental impact of diapers? Would you consider using a reusable one for your child? Why or why not? Tell us as letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the comments form below.

Your comments


The authorities of Federal Municipalities of UAE to take note of this bad impact and restrict the import of these diapers and make available biodegradable / reusable diapers in the UAE market across all emirates.
Shaikh Abdullah
Ras Al Khaimah,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 15:51

One should be more conscious in using the diapers. A judicial and cautious and attentive eye can reduce the consumption by 50%. Over and above, we can learn from our older generation as they must have raised us when diapers were not available and hygenically also.
Anirban Pal
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 14:12

I think, this is one type of promoting the item. The harm mentioned in the article is there is each and every item, in one way or another. The cost of the re-usable one mentioned is also too much. Let us see how it works.
K. G. Kumar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 13:22

The above message is excellent and the awareness to be provided across UAE and throughout the world, which will help our environment a safe.
Mujibur
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 12:39

I use cloth nappies for my child. Though it requires efforts to change every hour, but it can be washed and reused. Only when I am going out of home for long time I use the diapers.
Megha
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 12:21

well.. i never even thought or hav never come across an article like this...if we can do anythng to save our planet..lets do it..bcuz this is a simple way to , a possible n a pratical way..
Veena
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 12:15

I read the article about the impact of using disposable diapers on environment and felt really sorry for not considering it for such long time of 10 months since my first child is born. I was really not aware of the harm caused to the nature because of this negligence and would certainly consider using the non disposable ones from today. Thanking Gulf news for enlightening us with this information.
Nimmy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 11:05

its a great news. please let us know where to get this kind of diapers.
Roland
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 10:22

kindly let me know that where i have to go
Poonam
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 10:14

go green.
Vince
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 10:07

Had no idea that diapers made such a HUGE impact on the environment!! will now try to reduce the usage, where r reusable diapers available in Dubai?
P. Khanna
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 09:47

i want to use it but tell me where will i get these types of diapers. for so many years for my kids but i didnt come accross this type of diapers. please let me know where i get and the brand also.
Muddasir
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 09:23

Isn't it hazardeous to the health of a baby? Please justify along with more details on the subject. Is there any document or website concerning to the same thing. Please inform.
Shahzad Khurrum
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 09:18

What brands of disposable diapers are available in the UAE market
Shirleen
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 09:10

Yes, I was ignorant of the havoc diapers make for the environment. I will definitely use re-usable diapers for my children. I hope they are easily available in the market becuase the gaints who manufacture disposable might block the sale of environment friendly stuff. May I convey a message here for environment and that is "Ctrl+P (printing)...could kill a tree. Consider environment.
Amjad Ali Awan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2009, 08:13

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