CO2 and the associated issue of sustainability are on everyone's lips. Are cloth diapers more sustainable, or perhaps disposable diapers, since they don't produce CO2 during washing? In fact, simply looking at the CO2 balance is far from sufficient (spoiler alert: cloth diapers generally perform better here too). The immense mountains of waste and pollutants that enter our environment through disposable diapers are significantly more serious than CO2 balances.
154,680 tons of diaper waste per year
154,680 tons of diaper waste accumulate in Germany every year – such a large number that it's almost incomprehensible. This 154,680 tons of waste is equivalent to the weight of slightly more than 15 Eiffel Towers. This means that approximately 10 million disposable diapers are used in Germany every day.
That sounds like a lot (and it is) – but the question is, what happens to these enormous quantities of waste? Most diaper waste is incinerated, buried, or dumped in illegal landfills. A large portion of German waste (especially plastic waste) is exported to Southeast Asia, primarily to Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Germany is even the largest waste exporter in the entire EU. What happens to the waste afterward varies greatly. Very little is recycled or incinerated; the majority ends up in illegal landfills, in nature, or in the oceans.
Why is this so problematic? It's estimated that a disposable diaper takes 500 years to decompose completely. This means it's quite possible that the very first disposable diapers still exist somewhere, almost intact. And then there's the issue of microplastics and other pollutants.
Microplastics thanks to disposable diapers
Disposable diapers contain a highly absorbent superabsorbent polymer that quickly soaks up moisture and then binds it in a gel-like form. This is why disposable diapers are so thin before use and become significantly thicker and bulkier when filled with urine. Superabsorbent polymers are made from petroleum and are not biodegradable.
Superabsorbent polymers, for example, are a type of microplastic, and even diapers in the ocean are broken down into microplastics by waves and sunlight. The problem is that these tiny plastic particles absorb pollutants like pesticides or other toxic chemicals from the water and concentrate them. These plastic particles are then ingested by living organisms and enter our food chain through fishing and seafood harvesting. According to one study, people consume an average of 5 grams of plastic every week. That's roughly the weight of a credit card.
Toxic ingredients damage the environment
Unfortunately, disposable diapers contain a large number of toxic ingredients, such as dioxins (which are produced, for example, during combustion and are carcinogenic), sodium polyacrylate (superabsorbent polymer), phthalates (plasticizers), and heavy metals, which can slowly seep into water and soil, thus not only destroying nature but also entering our food chain.
And all these aspects are merely environmental ones – the child's health hasn't even been considered. Therefore, it's absurd to always think of CO2 first when it comes to sustainability. Of course, it's immensely important, but it's not the only crucial factor in keeping our world and its inhabitants (including ourselves) safe and healthy.
Alternative cloth diaper
For many parents, cloth diapers are still not an option. They leak easily and are complicated to use. That's why we developed a cloth diaper that is simple, clean, and absorbent. And all without harmful substances or pollutants. The outer layer of our diaper is made from recycled and pollutant-free materials. A maximum of 16 Lybbie diapers are needed per child, compared to 5,000 disposable diapers. Therefore, your Lybbie diaper helps reduce your child's plastic waste and even contributes to the recycling of existing plastic. You can buy your Lybbie diaper here: Shop .
Some evidence
- Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection. 2019. Environmentally friendly and healthy diapers. In <https://www.bmuv.de/meldung/mai-2019-umweltfreundliche-und-gesunde-windeln>.
- Destatis. 2022. In 2021, 25% less plastic waste was exported than in the previous year. In <https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2022/06/PD22_N035_51.html>.
- University of Newcastle. 2019. Plastic ingestion by people could be equated to a credit card a week. In < https://www.newcastle.edu.au/newsroom/featured/plastic-ingestion-by-people-could-be-equating-to-a-credit-card-a-week>.
