Diapers take up a lot of space in landfills. They also decompose to produce methane, a greenhouse gas contributing to global warming.
Renewable and biodegradable materials can reduce these concerns, but their use requires significant investments. This article explores current technologies for reducing the environmental impact of single-use diapers by improving their design, management and waste management options.
Water Consumption
Diapers have been used for many years, and their materials and chemicals greatly impact the environment. Chemicals such as Tributyl Tin (TBT) are used to bleach disposable diapers and enhance their super-absorbent gel, and they can leach into soil and groundwater.
Additionally, a lot of water is used to wash the cloth diapers. This process uses a large amount of energy, which also consumes petroleum. Some companies offer diaper services that save parents time and effort by washing multiple reusable diapers simultaneously. However, the petroleum used to pick up and deliver these diapers cancels environmental gains.
Life cycle assessment studies have found that all three diapering systems hurt the environment. They all require raw materials, use energy, and generate solid wastes. When choosing a product, examining all categories of waste and natural resources is important. Parents are now conscious and are looking for eco-friendly and sustainable options like honest diapers. Most sustainable diapers are made with a combination of plastics and some plant-based materials and are free from lotions, dyes, fragrances, chlorine, and phthalates.
Air Pollution
A lot of the chemicals used in disposable diapers are harmful to humans, including TBT, a contaminant that doesn’t degrade in water; phenols suspected endocrine and neuro-toxins; ethylbenzene, a suspected carcinogen and respiratory toxin; isopropylene, a possible respiratory toxin; and dyes and fragrances. The plastic diapers also emit methane, a greenhouse gas that is 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Even “eco-friendly” disposable diapers harm the environment, as they rely on oil to make their plastic and the super-absorbency gel. The process of drilling for oil releases pollutants and contributes to climate change.
While it is important to consider all aspects of the life cycle when assessing the environmental impact of any product, it is particularly vital to reduce solid waste and consumption of natural resources. Cloth diapers do less of both than disposables, but the need to wash them increases energy and water consumption and can produce harmful air pollution. New green technologies are needed to develop alternatives to incineration and landfilling used diapers.
Energy Consumption
The raw materials and electricity used in the production of cloth diapers and their washing use a significant amount of energy. In addition, the fecal contents of disposable diapers can leach into groundwater and create waste products that require disposal. In developing countries, controlled incineration can help reduce solid waste, but this process produces toxic chemicals such as furans and dioxins that pose health risks.
Many recent material and design innovations result in reduced environmental impacts. This includes the development of super-absorbent SAP (sodium polyacrylate gel) that reduces the need for fluff pulp and other fillers. This has also reduced the diaper weight, requiring less fuel for transport.
These changes have also reduced IMPACT2002+ midpoint categories such as non-renewable energy and global warming potential. The results are normalized to a US functional consumption unit to compare the impact of different diaper products better.
Waste Generation
The waste generated by diapers is an important contributor to landfills. It contains human feces and urine, which can cause serious health concerns if improperly treated or stored. Untreated diaper waste is also a breeding ground for bacteria and can spread infections.
In addition, a massive amount of energy is required to produce disposable diapers and their packaging. It is estimated that 136 kg of petroleum and 22 kg of wood are needed to make one baby’s single-use diapers in a year.
Recent life cycle analysis (LCA) studies have shown that several material and design innovations in disposable diapers have reduced their environmental impacts. The most significant reductions are in the sourcing and production of raw materials: CED-8%, solid waste-12%, non-renewable energy-1%, GWP500-4%, respiratory inorganics-6%.
