I finally found a greener diaper product that could probably help an environmentalist mom's dilemma between choosing an inconvenient washable cloth or non-biodegradable/compostable disposable diapers.
gDiapers, which is being marketed (limitedly) in the US by Australian founders Jason and Kimberly Graham-Nye is composed of three layers: a washable cotton outer layer; a washable waterproof inner layer; and a compostable/biodegradable absorbing insert (think of a large feminine pad) that can be flushed or thrown away. The company said you can even compost the insert in your tomato garden.
You can watch how it works in this video:
The diaper was launched since late 2005 starting in Portland, Oregon. So why is it not blazing fires in the diaper world?
First of all, according to my web sources (thanks google!), the green trend is just starting to catch-up so they probably need Oprah to endorse it. Second, there is still the tiny inconvenient factor of needing to swish the insert to break 'em up before flushing them in the toilet (yes, you get the swisher included in the pack). Third, the economics still need improvement compared to the traditional disposal diapers, and the fact that your baby's bottom do get bigger each year means you need to buy a whole new starter kit set again.
The good thing is that there is an option. The question is why major diaper producers seem to be in no rush to create the ultimate biodegradable, disposable, flushable, cheap, poo-pee catching machine? The global diaper market is a billion dollar industry after all.
I have to ask some of our chemical friends [especially those who manufacture superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), nonwoven fibers, polyacrylic acid, etc...which are used in diapers] on what is going on in their R&D diaper labs and maybe they can give me some scoop on Procter & Gamble's secret diaper project.
Or maybe they are already scoping gDiapers in their acquisition list...
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