G-Darn Amazing New DiaperI was in Grassroots the other day, stocking up on bulk laundry detergent, when I noticed a new brand of eco-diaper on the shelf. Flushable gDiapers are now available in Canada and are touted as “the new earth-friendly hybrid”. I have to admit, I had my doubts about these diapers. Flushable? Sometimes what I find in my son’s diaper could be classified as an environmental disaster. I feared that if I flushed these messes together with a diaper, my toilet would stage a mutiny and I’d have a river of poop running through my bathroom and down the hall. Our family has been using cloth diapers for the past 14 months but out of curiosity, I decided to visit the g-Diaper website to learn more about this option. You never know; our next baby could be gDiapered and so could yours!
The gDiaper website www.gdiapers.com provided lots of information about these diapers and how to use them. gDiapers are neither cloth, nor disposable, but a biodegradable hybrid of both. They consist of a washable cotton outer cover (“g-pant”) and a plastic-free flushable diaper insert. A starter kit retails for approximately $34.99 CA and includes 2 pairs of g-pants, 10 diaper inserts, a swisher stick, and a user’s manual. Refill packs of 32 inserts cost approximately $19.99CA. The diapers are designed to be either flushed, composted or tossed in the garbage and will break down within 50-150 days. (Phewww--that alleviates my fear of my toilet turning on me!)
Not to name drop or anything, but a certain celebrity uses gDiapers for her son Henry. Here is what she had to say about them in an issue of Vanity Fair:
“I used Seventh Generation diapers for Finn and Hazel, and then I was turned on to gDiapers. Henry’s got a gDiaper on right now. I would recommend them overall. It is flushable, but you’ve got to stir that thing! If you don’t really break it all the way up, it doesn’t go all the way down.”
Let me just take a moment to deliciously savour the image of Julia Roberts feverishly swishing a messy diaper down her toilet. Those stars—they’re just like us!
What I really like about gDiapers is that they accomplish two great feats. For one, they take the yuck out of scrubbing poopy cloth diapers. Trust me, that task is not for the faint of heart, nor is it ideal for gaggers like me. But most importantly, gDiapers won’t stink up a landfill for generations to come, like conventional disposables that take an estimated 500 years to break down. Still, I have to give them a demerit point for the strain on resources. While they use more environmentally friendly plastic-free materials, it is still wasteful to use them only once and throw them away. In this respect, cloth is still your best choice for the environment.
For our readers benefit, I called around to some shops to find the best prices for gDiapers.
If you live outside these cities, click on the gDiaper storefinder to find a retailer near you.
For on-line orders, The Funky Monkey Baby Boutique is offering 15% off gDiapers Starter Kits for a limited time. Just enter GDIAPERS in the coupon field.
-- Sarah Simpson
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