FAQ

What is our main objective? 

Our primary objective is to change the culture of diapering from plastic chemical filled disposable diapers that last 300-500 years to compostable single use diapers made from renewable material (bamboo). We want all babies to use these diapers and have an easy to use composting program that turns the diapers to carbon sequestering compost in 3 months. This compost can be used to create improved soil and nutrients for plants. Not only will this dramatically reduce waste but will enrich soil, allow moisture in, and bring life back into our degraded landscapes.

Our secondary objective is to help low income families get free diapers, wipes, bags and composting service. Our reason for this is three-fold:

1) Families will delay diaper changes when they can’t afford diapers which leads to skin breakdown for their babies resulting in more emergency room visits. This is a serious public health issue and source of stress for parents and babies

2) We want families to break the cycle of poverty by using this economic boost to help them succeed in work and school

3) Most ecological products are reserved for middle and upper income people because of cost. We find that low income people are equally as interested in renewable eco products but struggle to afford them. 

What do we currently do? 

We create relationships with maternity shelters and community organizations that serve very low-income moms and babies. We then educate the organization about the environmental impact of diapers and offer to partner with them to benefit their recipients. If the org is interested, then we go talk to the potential recipients and educate them about diaper composting and see if they are interested. If so, we buy them discount bulk bamboo diapers and wipes from a distributor. The partner non-profit organization distributes and keeps track of the diapers given and makes sure recipients are putting them in the compost bin. We then partner with another business called Earth Diaper who currently has the infrastructure in place for diaper pick-ups/storage and drop off. Earth Diaper is given a discount for this service. The diapers are taken to an industrial composting facility in Gilroy. The recipients love the program and receive the diapers, wipes, bags and weekly composting service for free. They in turn tell us that they will pass this environmental care along to the children they are diapering. This creates a multi-generational effect of environmental awareness and a waste reduction impact that will impact generations. 

In addition, we do community education in live presentations as well as social media education about diaper waste and composting.   Our current configuration is a non-profit model to solve and bring awareness to the issues of diaper need. In addition, we aim to educate about “eco-equity”- that all people deserve to have access to the same earth regenerating solutions to waste and climate issues. Not all people can afford the extra cost of a composting program and Earth Diaper aims to level the playing field with an inter sectional environmental solution. We fund the program on tax deductible donations. There is currently no paid staff.  

Would it be better to be a for profit model?  

We would like to create a for-profit model for a business that would help support the non-profit activities.  The biggest barriers are lack of composting sites and lack of capital. 

Why aren’t people already buying compostable diapers? 

The public is very poorly educated about diaper choices and even the issue of diaper waste. Our landfills are rapidly filling up to capacity. What will we do when they are full? Cities and counties as well as citizens need to be asking this question, but there is almost no education around this issue. Most people buy disposable diapers, wrap the used diaper in plastic, and unknowingly send approximately 7000 diapers per child to sit in a landfill for 500 years. We need a massive education program to change the culture around diapers. We believe that when people are aware of the problem, they will make better choices.  

Why aren't diapers already being composted? 

We need more composting facilities to accept diapers. Many facilities don’t accept diapers because they do not want to deal with human waste. It requires a special human waste permit.  We need to create incentives (or mandates) for industrial composting facilities and biodigesters to take diapers, both infant and adult across the country. City home pick up composting programs do not accept diapers. Individual composting is very difficult with diapers because of the volume (for example newborns typically use 10 diapers a day). Many landfills are already filling up. We think that diverting diapers out of landfills is the only logical thing to do.  

How do we determine eligibility for the program? 

We partner with organizations that help us administer the program to their residents or recipients. The partner organization distributes the diapers and verifies the recipients are very low income.  

What is the cost comparison?  

Diapers can cost anywhere from $50 to $200 per child per month. Earth Diaper spends approximately $100 per month per child, but this also includes compostable wipes, biodegradable bags and a composting pick up. We are able to get such good prices because we partner with agencies that offer us discounts.  

Why doesn't Earth Diaper make its own diapers?  

We would be interested in manufacturing with sustainably harvested materials that are locally made and compost well but are not at a scale to include this at this time.  

 Why not use cloth diapers? 

One study, in Science Report called “An updated lifecycle assessment of the study for disposable and reusable nappies” (from the UK) showed that Co2 emissions (when you accounted for all the laundering in hot water with chemicals and drying) were the same as a disposable diaper. We don’t have data on how long it would take for a cloth diaper to break down after it retired. However, if you wash them at home and hang try them there is less emissions. Then my questions become: how many people are willing to wash poopy diapers and line dry them? And then factor in the fact that many low-income folks don’t have a washer and dryer, (let alone a clothesline) and laundromats don’t smile at your bringing in a bunch of poop to their facility. Add that to the folks who don’t have a car. Who is going haul a giant bag of wet stinky diapers on the bus to a laundry facility to illegally wash them there? And on top of that most women work these days. Is that really how they are going to spend their weekend on top of caring for a baby? Not likely. Most of the parents we have spoken to have switched from cloth to disposables because of convenience.