Reasons to Switch to Zero Waste Baby Wipes
Disposable baby wipes are everywhere these days. Not just used for babies, but often used for people travelling and to remove make-up or clean sticky fingers. They may be handy but they are awful things.
They are not ‘flushable’ (despite lobbyists letting them claim that, so always bin them after use). But most are made from synthetic fibres that never break down.
These organic cotton reusable wipes are not just made from organic cotton, but sold in a lovely uplifting rainbow design. Made responsibly by a family-owned business in India, they are perfect to cleanse skin and change your baby.
Once used, just pop in a washbag or throw in the machine with similar colours. The pack contains five wipes, packaged in an easy to recycled kraft paper belly band.
Baby wipes are now responsible for nearly all blocked toilets and drains, and these in turn can even cause garden floods of neighbouring properties.
Plus the flushed wipes end up creating ‘fatberg’s that are difficult to break down by sewage workers. And the plastic fibres end up turning into microplastics, and going into seas and rivers, where they harm marine creatures.
Wet wipes are now the third most common form of beach litter in England, with the average clean-up volunteer finding 18 wet wipes per 100m of coast. London’s Thames
Water deals with around 85,000 sewer blockages each year (mostly due to wet wipes and people pouring cooking fat down drains (use a recycling container).
Critics say that government legislation allowing some brands to say they are ‘biodegradable’ are misleading. One environmental scientist says for this to happen, the wet wipe would have to be within an open space at a certain temperature, but this would not happen in our ancient sewers.
MP Fleur Anderson is trying to introduce a Bill to get all plastic wet wipes banned for sale. As well as the environmental and wildlife costs, she says that water companies spend £100 million each year dealing with 300,000 sewage blockages, and of course this cost is added to people’s household and office bills.
A Reusable Organic Cotton Burp Cloth
This organic cotton burp cloth is beautifully designed in a cute ‘moon and clouds’ print. Organic cotton is far better for the planet, gentler on your baby, and the fibres last longer, as they have not been treated by chemicals.
This versatile cloth can also be used to protect against spills during nursing, and has been pre-washed, for maximum comfort on a baby’s skin. Made to withstand endless washing (which won’t leach microplastics as there are aren’t any, unlike polyester or nylon cloths).
Designed in London and made ethically in India, this can be passed on to siblings or friends.
The cloth is Oeko-Tex100 standard, so is certified free from harmful chemicals, and includes a recycled card swing tag, printed with used vegetable inks.
Machine-wash cold (cool iron only). Although pre-washed, the maker recommends washing before first use.
Baby wipes are one of the main causes of beach waste, blocked drains (and garden floods).
Even ones labelled as ‘flushable’ aren’t (they are allowed to be called this, due to government lobbying by industry). If you use them, never flush them down the loo, whatever the label says.
Zero Waste Swaps for Baby Wipes
Reusable natural baby wipes made from cloth are the obvious choice. One purchase means they are safely laundered, choose from organic cotton, hemp or bamboo.
Choose versions without fragrance and just keep them in a container to use when needed. Or a zipped bag for travel. Most are easy to use, just wet with water, then wash when you get home.
These organic muslin cloths are far better for the planet than conventional cotton, which is grown with around 25% of the world’s pesticides. Safer for wildlife and farmers too. And gentler on human skin.
These generously-sized cloths are colour-coded, making it easy to separate ones for feeding, cleaning and changing. Also in a plain design.
Use forest-friendly bathroom tissue (with Wype biodegradable gel) to make your own soothing wet wipes.
If you must buy ready-made baby wipes, then look for biodegradable wipes. But all wipes are too thick to flush, so just bin after use.
These wipes break down faster than traditional ones but can still take months to dissolve fully. Check the packaging for information on the materials used and look for those marked as compostable. While they may not be perfect, they’re certainly a step in the right direction.
