Environmental Responsibility

We are living in a age where goods are designed for immediate convenience. The modern media is a powerful persuasive tool in providing people with all the reasons a product is needed. Unlike product advertisements, information about the longer term implications of consumer choice is not often in the forefront of mainstream media. This means only selected information is reaching public awareness.

Think about the term 'disposable nappy'. Now ask yourself, what is so dispoable about a nappy that takes an estimated 500 years to break down? It cannot be flushed down the loo, and the chemical makeup of the product renders it too toxic to compost. Every used 'disposable' nappy is sitting in landfill somewhere ~ with the exception of those that have been burnt, leaving toxic residues to pollute our atmosphere.

Next, consider the human waste that is also disposed of in this way. It is in fact raw sewage that leaks from 'disposable' nappies in landfill sites, resulting in the contamination of groundwater and soil. The spreading of disease, particularly when the faeces contain live bacterium and viruses (due to illness or vaccinations), is becoming an ever-more present threat to modern day society in the realm of health.

The packaging of such 'disposable' nappies usually state that solid waster must be disposed of in the toilet first, before putting the nappy itself in a bin. As this takes away much of the convenience of the product, this information is not heavily promoted. Furthermore, as not all poo is solid (and some baby diarrhoea and newborn poo is thin enough to be absorbed into the core of the nappy), the problem is actually with the product itself, rather than incorrect use.

So next time your baby does a poo, think carefully. How will you deal with it?