Eco-friendly Baby Diapers

As a parent trying to reduce waste it can definitely be challenging especially when you add a pandemic to the mix, which led me to my discovery of Nest Baby Diapers. These single use diapers are game changers when it comes to being safer and better for the environment. But before I get into the details on what makes these diapers different from the typical ones you find in the store that pollute the earth, I want to talk a little about how I came to find them.

I blame the pandemic for using single use diapers again, but it really was a combination of things. It all started when my second daughter was born and I had planned to only use cloth diapers. And honestly everything was going great until it was time to go back to work. In my opinion working full time after getting 3 months of maternity leave definitely has it's sleep deprived challenges and the first things that started to go for me were my health, my sanity, and any type of household chores specifically laundry. So as you can imagine laundry started to pile up and so did the cloth diapers. I felt like a total failure, but that wasn't the end of my cloth diaper journey. 

    After a couple of months of depending on single use diapers, I was able to start cloth diapering again. Then the pandemic hit and all bets were off while I tried to navigate working full time without any child care. This is when cloth diapering became impossible for me and I really deflated not being able to keep a goal I had vowed to make. So going back to the drawing board I looked for an alternative that would allow me the convenience of single use diapers without any the waste. 

Cue Nest Baby Diapers!

    So what makes these single use diapers different from the rest? Well I'm glad you asked - first off they are made with hand-selected sustainable materials that are free of harmful chemicals, lotions, perfume and known allergens (Oeko-Tex 100  & SGS certified). But what exactly are these diapers made of that makes them better for the environment? Thankfully Nest is completely transparent and lists out exactly what materials they use and even the purpose:

• Absorbent Core- Sustainably-sourced totally chlorine-free fluff wood pulp, and a very low percentage super absorbent polymer (SAP) that helps absorb wetness so the baby’s skin can stay dry.
• Absorbent Top Sheet- 100% plant-based cellulose fiber developed to keep he skin dry.
• Soft Outer Cover- 100% plant-based fiber that is as soft and breathable as reusable cloth diapers.
• Fasteners & Leg Cuffs- Polypropylene and elastic — the materials used are tested, safe and free of harmful chemical additives. These materials are not very degradable and should be removed for proper disposal. Nest is working on replacing these items with natural materials as soon as they are available.

    Nest Diapers are both compostable/biodegradable because of the plant-based materials they use to make the diapers. Currently the only materials not suited for composting are the fasteners and leg cuffs, but those can be removed to allow the rest of the diaper to be commercially composted. And when they say compostable they really do mean it as they have been tested in accordance of ISO 14855-1-2012. Unfortunately they can't go into your home composter, but they do provide information on their website of commercial compost providers that take diapers. Though the list is short as the number of industrial composting facilities that accept baby diapers is limited, the development of such facilities are growing and they continue to actively purse more partners. You can view the current list of providers here >> https://www.nestdiapers.com/composting.

    Not only are Nest Diapers better for the environment, but they actually work. Since using these diapers with my toddler I haven't had any leaks or rashes. You can thank their unique absorbent core, which has been developed to maximize absorption, for that. I love that they have the wetness indicator which I find to be very useful especially at the newborn age. And I can't forget to mention how soft these diapers are thanks to the plant-based materials they use. If you're looking for a better alternative to single use diapers I highly recommend Nest.