I'm always trying to make small moves to be more sustainable. Somethings we're great at, like growing our own food, others need improvement like waste production.
We still produce a fair bit of rubbish for landfill and that's something I'm really working hard to reduce. Having a young family doesn't help this, they seem to create rubbish just by being!
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| Something different - 100% biodegradable wipes! |
One thing we're terrible with is baby wipes. I know we should be using flannels where we can but it's not always practical. Also we give our washing machine some serious stick at the best of times and the last thing we need at the moment is more washing!
So it's very easy just to reach for the wipes and chuck them away. Trouble is many contain plastics to make them stronger, some never break down and instead increase plastic waste or if they do break down they never go away completely and turn into micro plastics instead.
Not good.
But I really don't want to give up the wipes! They make life as a parent with young children so much easier!
So I was really pleased when Mum and You contacted me the other day to see if I wanted to try out some baby wipes that were 100% biodegradable. I jumped at the chance, this was something I'd been thinking about anyway! They also donate to nappy banks and to Save The Children, both really worthy causes.
Getting the wipes out I was impressed, you'd never know any difference from the ones we normally buy. We used one to clean up the boy after his jam on toast for breakfast. Well I say "we", no way was the awkward little so-and-so independent young man going to let me help! He loved them!
One little thing I really liked was the fact that the packet says not to flush them. When I used to work on big building sites we had constant problems with people flushing "flushable wipes" down the toilet and blocking drains, it used to drive me mad - no wipe is flushable except toilet paper!
These wipes can also be composted so they'll work well with my compost loo. It says that they're completely gone in 4 - 6 weeks or a little longer in landfill, so I look forward to seeing if there's any left when it comes time to use my homemade compost!
I think I'd be kidding myself if I said I was going to give up disposable wipes, but having ones that biodegrade makes the parenting guilt so much less, especially when I can't tell the difference.
So for me this is another small step in the right direction. To stop buying wipes that will be around in generations to come and instead to buy ones that are made from natural fibres and will be gone in a few months!
##### I received these wipes from Mum And You for free to test, but all view's, opinions and lessening of parental guilt from finding a biodegradable wipe that's good are my own!
we even have wipes in the car in the bag i take to craft fairs, they are handy to have around will look out for these I like the idea they can go on the compost heap.
ReplyDeleteYeah that's what I like about them. I hate the thought of it going to landfill and just staying the same for hundreds of years!
DeleteWipes are a big part of our lives, not just baby ones which I use for removing makeup. I have packets everywhere. Will look out for them and give them a try.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest it was something I hadn't really thought about but doing some research it's a serious problem, something our grandchildren will be clearing out of the seas! This so only a small change for us but hopefully it'll make a difference.
DeleteI never used them. I also never used disposable nappies and I wasn't a stay at home non working mother and I also had a husband who was away a lot for work and lived more than 50 kms from my workplace. I did have a washing machine. My thought on this is that it's a very 21st century, modern parent problem that really isn't a problem at all. The need to raise children and keep them clean is not a new thing but the rise of using wipes is only about 2 decades old. Washing machines in middle class homes is about 5 decades old. Birth control is about 4 decades old. Look to what went on further back than 2 decades to 4 decades ago and how babies were raised in that period of human history. There were many children, few of which were planned arrivals, there were no baby wipes and there were no washing machines. You have a washing machine. Use old rags. Once used (store them in a bag till you get them home if used when you're out) then drop them in a bucket of water and then drain off the soak water and clean the rags in the washing machine. Do the same to avoid using disposable nappies. First world, 21st century new parent problem solved.
ReplyDeleteI think it's better to encourage people to make small changes than try to get them to do everything perfectly straight away or they'll just give up. I'm probably a perfect example of this. Small changes, in the way we shop and act, do add up to being better if not perfect.
DeleteKevin, this is a struggle for all of us. In some areas I feel Dan and I are doing great, in others we have a long way to go. Finding a biodegradable solution is the best way to go!
ReplyDeleteI used cloth diapers and flannel wipes with our guy when he was little. It really wasn't that much extra work but you have to pick your battles sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your professional approach.These are pieces of very useful information that will be of great use for me in future.
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