The Great Flushable Diaper Experiment

I had big plans to use cloth diapers before the kids were born. But then I bought an emergency pack of Huggies, and then I got overwhelmed with parenting and just kept buying the Huggies. But I've been feeling quite guilty about it. We started out using 16 or so diapers a day, and now use about 8 a day. Lots of tonnage of diapers go out to landfills every week in the trash around here.

So a friend from church convinced me to try gDiapers, a flushable diaper product. It has a washable cloth cover and snap-in plastic liner which is similar to what you would use with cloth. Then it has a flushable insert to absorb everything.

What is the stick, you ask? That is your "swish stick" that you use to swish around the flushable insert in the toilet. So today was our experiment day. I bought a starter pack seen above that has two cloth diaper covers, four snap-in plastic liners and ten flushable inserts. That is enough for one day for us. They are in them right now, so we will see how they last overnight.

So far, the cloth cover is soft and fits snug. The inserts are way too big to just put in the cover, they are about twice the size. I tried to fold it over in the front (for boys, as they say) and it eventually got all scrunched down in the crotch. There is a plastic snap in liner inside the cloth cover, so nothing leaked and the inserts do seem to absorb a lot. I was worried about re-using the covers, like they would be wet around the edges and yucky to put back on the kids, but they kept dry and clean. The next time I did not fold the insert down in front, I just shoved the corners in and it was just bulky in the middle. This seemed to work better, but it does make your kids have enormous little bums. The kids seemed not to notice nor care about the different diaper system, so I guess it is plenty comfortable.

No, they aren't on backwards; they actually do fastened in the back with velcro. Putting them backwards is a good idea because my kids will sometimes play with the front tabs on the disposables and take them off.

One thing that is good about flushing is that you get rid of the odor in your house. I am anti-diaper genie, because making little diaper sausages encased in plastic just seems even worse for the environment. I dispose of my diapers in just a regular pail with an air freshener nearby, but I know there is always odor. Flushing takes care of that problem.

Now, the problems:

Okay, so the flushing is a pain. I say this knowing full well that if you want to get away from putting disposables in a landfill, you are going to have to compromise on convenience. They suggest you move your diaper table into your bathroom so you'll be right there, but my bathroom is not big enough. So I essentially have to diaper two kids and then sort of set the dirty flush-able to the side and come back later to flush it. You can't just drop it in the toilet, you have to rip open the outer covering and dump out the inner filler into the toilet. Then you use the swishstick to sort of break that up, and then you drop in the rest. Number 2 material seems to just sit on the outside of the covering and you have to dump that in as well. It clogged my toilet the first time I did it. I ended up flushing four times to get two inserts down. The next time I  really, really swished and let it sit for a moment and disintegrate before I flushed, and this time there were no clogs, but it took forever. I always usually diaper the kids on a schedule right before they eat one after the other. (Unless there is a major blowout, then that is an extra time). So, it is hard to schedule in time to do all this flushing when the kids are ready to eat and I'm rushing around with them.

The other problem is that the flush-able inserts come 32 to a pack for about $15. This will only last me four days and the Huggies are way cheaper when I buy in bulk. Though I suppose way more costly to the environment.

The flushing is the major drawback, but it might be easier than washing a bunch of cloth diapers. Flushing uses water, no detergent, and puts biohazardous waste where it belongs, instead of a landfill. I think this would be a lot easier to use with only one baby, but I say that about everything, don't I? Also,  if you could manage to change the baby in your bathroom and flush right there, that would be a major plus.

I guess these are popular in Australia, but just hitting the market in the U.S. I have only found them at my local natural foods store. For me, with twins and with the fact that I don't drive, the 32 pack business is a bit scary. My store only has one or two packs in stock, and that is only four to eight days worth for me. So I'd be panicked that I would always be running out with no means to get more.

On the plus side for me, I think it gave me a little more idea of what using cloth diapers would be like. A good compromise for me might be a diaper service. There is the whole detergents vs. landfill controversy, but to me, cloth diapers seem to make more sense environmentally. Also, now that the kids are older, they need to probably start feeling the difference between wet and dry a bit more. Cloth diapers make sense in that department as well.

As for gDiapers, it is a good idea and might be an answer for some families, but I don't think I can hack the flushing process. But I really like the diaper covers, and might consider using them with cloth. Try them if you think this might be a good, environmentally sound option for you. They are available online at the gDiapers site.

Overnight Update: Naim's diaper made it through the night just fine. Aaron's flushable got all dis-arranged and bunched up and caused a big leaky mess. As far as effectiveness and convenience, nothing tops disposables. But I still might try cloth...next week, after I do all this laundry from this week's experiment.

5/2/05 Update: I've written an update here, since this post has gotten so many hits from people searching out diaper options.

Comments

[Linda]

We used cloth diapers for the first 9 months after my girls were born (from a diaper service). I liked them okay, but I will say honestly that disposables are easier.

Most studies show that a service that uses water, harsh chemicals, and lots and lots of new diapers (made from cotton) is comparable to filling landfills with disposies. I think cloth diapers only win when you cloth diaper subsequent children with the same diapers and/or wash them yourself.

[Moxie]

If you're really looking for convenience comparable to disposibles, you have to go with a system of either all-in-ones, or my recommendation, pocket diapers (like Wonderoos or Fuzzi Bunz). I prefer the pocket diapers because the layer next to the baby feels drier than with regular cloth or all-in-ones, and they dry faster. The downsides are that you have to stuff the pocket diapers when they come out of the laundry. If you buy Wonderoos they're a multi-sized diaper that fits 8-35 pounds. Fuzzi Bunz and most other pocket diapers come in sizes so you have to keep buying up.

[Emmie]

We use cloth diapers. We use the Fuzzibunz at night and simple nylon velcro covers with unbleached Indian prefolds during the day. We have some fancy diapers from a friend, and don;t see any advantage to them. We went through a period of using disposables because O had a yeast infection and we didn't want N to get it (not sure if it comes off in the wash?). Yes, it was a bit easier, but not by a whole lot. Soaking, washing and drying = five 2-minute trips up and down the stairs per day. Add the folding, and add a few minutes per day to take the poopy liner and flush it. Compare to one trip per day to the trash, plus putting in a new trash bag, and it's a bit more time, but not a very big deal. Using disposable flushable liners really helps with older babies - it means we can put the diapers in a pail dry rather than in a pail full of water and baking soda, which I would HATE to drag up and down the stairs. The linrs are very small and thin - they just keep the poop from smearing into the actual diaper.My friends who have cloth-diapered kids seem to have had an easier time potty training, and some people say that's because they can feel the wetness, etc. So maybe the extra work on the front end would pay off?

[Jason Graham-Nye]

Hi there,

My name is Jason and I am one of the founders of gDiapers. Thank you so much for giving gDiapers a shot. We have triplets in Eugene test driving them too.
No doubt the flushing takes getting used to and they are not for everybody. I bumped into another Mum of twins yesterday and she too was questioning how she would be able to use gDiapers with two little ones.
She had new plumbing and could flush in one go but she was trying to figure out if she could change them bot and then flsuh later on while they nap. Thats what we do with ours.
When we did our flushability testing we were amazed at the variance between toilets. In the 3 weeks we have been available in the US some customers have called and said that their plumbing is just too old to do it in one shot. So they do it in 2. Some have such old plumbing that they asked if it was OK to throw them in the trash. We don't encourage it but the flushables will biodegrade far quicker in landfill than a disposable. It's hard to calculate exactly how long but as there is no plastic in them, they go quickly. In our own soil burial trials, they go in 22 weeks.
Please let me know if there is anyway we can help you keep using gDiapers. Some Aussie cloth users just like the covers and use cloth inserts in them. They then use the flushables when they are out and about or at night for extra absorbency.

Hope this helps. Gorgeous picture of your little one!

Cheers

Jason

[JeninSC]

Thank you for posting your experience! I am the working mother of an 8-month-old girl and I've been hating using disposables but can't fit cloth into our lifestyle (plus the daycare won't allow it). I think they might be willing to give gDiapers a try, either in the toilet or trash. So we'll be ordering some soon.

[Tiffany]

This was a great read! I am still staunchly for cloth diapering and find several of aspects of these gdiapers kind of alarming. These diapers may be slightly better for the envoronment but they do not address other issues such as the dangers of chemicals being in such close proximity to the tender skin of our little ones. I did enjoy reading your expereince though :)

[Alison]

Thanks for the debrief on the gdiapers. We have four little ones. 2 still in diapers. We have successfully used cloth with all four ( Motherease are the best! they are adjustable so you dont have to keep buying more and wash and dry great!) however after 6 years of diapering my husband is kind of sick of the cloth. I saw the gdiapers and thought they might be a good alternative to use when he is home. I couldnt figure out if I can use them with my existing covers. Sounds like they might work. Keep looking for alternatives for your family. Its great to hear you are concerned and educating yourself. God Bless.