It’s no big secret that the plastic content of products is under scrutiny at the moment. People and businesses are trying to find ways of reducing their carbon footprint, especially when it comes to plastic, and it’s a trend that’s snowballing across the globe.
As parents, it’s hard to ignore the amount of nappies and wipes we’ve gone through, and will continue to go through now we’ve had Milo. I’m very aware that our carbon footprint is pretty big when it comes to these things and with them either taking years to biodegrade, or the products containing plastic, it’s something I want to make an effort to reduce – this is, after all, what we’re leaving behind for our children.
It’s not that we haven’t tried cloth, we have, but we really struggled to find a brand that worked for us and one that we could also get to grips with. I’m also happy to put my hands up and admit that I’ve got enough washing without having to do Milo’s nappies too! That doesn’t mean that we’ve not actively sought other ways to reduce our “output”, if you like.
I’ve rounded up some of the brands of nappies and/or wipes that I’ve been using that are much more eco-friendly than your every day disposables. These brands don’t contain plastic and are considered “green”.
I’ll admit, I was a little sceptical about trying any brand of eco friendly nappies because you wonder whether they’re able to rival the bigger brands and more established products but all of the below have definitely earned their place.
Mum & You Eco Friendly Nappies & Wipes*
I first came across Mum & You at The Baby Show in May this year. I was firstly taken by the design of the nappy (I’m a sucker for a pretty print!) but then found out that they were eco-friendly too! My ears pricked up as I knew with baby number three I wanted to make more of a conscious effort about what we were buying.
Mum & You nappies have a biodegradable core; there are no added chemicals, there’s no glue, perfumes, dyes or lotions either and they’re even latex free.
We’ve been using these eco friendly nappies in size 2s so far and I absolutely love them. The material is lovely and soft, the print is cool (obviously), they don’t rustle and they absorb really well. They’re basically everything you’d want in a nappy, just with the added benefit of them being eco.
Mum & You also have their biodegradable wipes which have also surprised me. At first I wasn’t too sure on them as they felt a bit thinner and a little more dry than the wipes I’ve been used to using but they soon proved they worked just as well.
Made from 100% naturally derived fibres they’re soft, unscented and pretty strong –they don’t break when you’re trying to pull them out of the packet and they wipe really well.
As far as I know the Mum & You ranges aren’t available in stores but you are able to order bundles online. They also do a bath time and skincare range as well as a changing bag. You can find out more about the Mum & You ranges on their website. If you sign up to their newsletter, you’ll get £10 off your first order (minimum spend applies). Oh, and the app is awesome if you fancy checking that out too!
Aqua Wipes*
Aqua Wipes are another brand I’ve been trialling over the last few weeks and these have been on my bedside table seeing me through the night feeds. Designed not only to be kind on the skin, but they’re fully biodegradable too.
With no plastic-based materials and containing more than 99% purified water with an organic aloe vera extract, Aqua Wipes are a firm favourite with special baby care units, neonatal and maternity departments across the NHS. They’re also registered with the Vegan Society.
Due to the minimal amount of ingredients being used it means less chance of irritation, allergies or reactions, while also being kind to the environment. The preservative used for the wipes is a food grade preservative which has been approved for use in foods and cosmetics.
I personally like the thickness of Aqua Wipes and they’re not too wet either. They tend to come in packs of 64 wipes, but you are able to buy travel sized packs which contain 12 wipes. Easy to pull from the pack, they’re absolutely a contender in the eco-friendly/biodegradable market.
If you’re looking to use a natural product, that’s eco-friendly, vegan, food grade approved and rated highly by this mum then Aqua Wipes are definitely one to buy. I’d love to see a range of eco friendly nappies from them next!
Beaming Baby Eco Friendly Nappies & Wipes
Beaming Baby are another eco friendly nappies brand I happened to come across at The Baby Show earlier this year. Not only do they stock biodegradable nappies and wipes but they also sell biodegradable nappy sacks. A triple whammy if I ever saw one.
I’ve since spoken to a friend about this brand as I knew she had been using them. She said they were brilliant and are the only nappies that don’t give her son a nappy rash. One of Beaming Baby’s claims is that their nappies can reduce the chances of nappy rash by up to five times – one which appears to be true for my friend!
We tried these for ourselves as I picked up a couple of packs and while Milo didn’t have nappy rash these didn’t give it to him either, which is great. The only thing I didn’t really like about the nappies is that they felt particularly papery/cardboardy. They ‘felt’ eco if that makes sense, but it certainly wouldn’t stop me from buying them. They’re not the softest nappies we’ve ever used but they didn’t irritate Milo and they were really good for absorbing.
The wipes aren’t too wet or too dry, have a nice texture and pull out of the pack well and the nappy bags are heaven sent.
Other Brands To Look Out For
There are other eco friendly nappies and brands out there, but I haven’t had experience with all of them so I can’t really give an opinion.
Kit & Kin are meant to be really good and I’ve seen lots of bloggers review them and love them.
Eco by Naty are another brand I’ve come across but haven’t tried.
Bambo* are nappies that I’ve tried, and loved, and I have a review of them here that I wrote in 2017.
Cheeky Wipes are something that I’ve tried and still dip into every now and again. It’s a kit I would highly recommend.
Of course there are cloth nappies which we tried, and failed, to love but it just goes to show that there’s a whole other world out there when it comes to nappies and wipes. Long term, these alternatives are so much better for our environment and the future of our planet.
I think it goes without saying that these nappies and wipes do cost a little bit more than the leading brands BUT a little investment goes a long way. It’s definitely worth considering checking out the subscribe and save deals available, as well as referral schemes and signing up to newsletters or at least getting a sample if they’re available.
*I received samples of the product but was in no way expected to write this post in return. All views and opinions are my own.