Disposable Inserts for Cloth Diapers
Convenient, Environmentally Responsible Baby Diapering
Oct 17, 2009
Even the most dedicated cloth diaper users may find that there are times that a disposable option would be nice, such as diapering a heavy wetter overnight, going on long car trips, or taking vacations where wash machines are inaccessible. Hybrid diapers offer a cloth outer shell with a disposable insert.
Unlike conventional disposable diapers, these inserts do not contain plastic, meaning they can, in theory, biodegrade in about 50 to 150 days rather than 500 years. Since most landfills are designed to prevent materials from biodegrading, many disposable inserts also offer the options of flushing the inserts in a toilet or composting wet inserts at home. (Soiled inserts should not be composted, due to the potential contamination from human waste. Customers who are interested in flushing inserts should follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully for best results.)
Three of the most widely available disposable-cloth hybrids on the market include gDiapers disposable inserts, GroBaby biodegradable soaker pads, and bumGenius Flip systems.
gDiapers Disposable Inserts
- Works with: gDiaper little g pants and nylon liners
- Availability: online at the gDiapers website, on Amazon.com, at stores such as Babies R Us, and in some grocery stores
- Price: approximately $14.50 for a pack of 40 small or 32 medium/large (cost per 100: about $36 to $45)
- Disposal: may be flushed in most plumbing systems after being torn apart and swished, composted, or thrown away
- Cloth alternatives: gDiapers also work with gCloth inserts when a disposable option isn’t needed
GroBaby Biodegradable Soaker Pads
- Works with: GroBaby one-size cloth diapers
- Availability: online cloth diaper retailers such as Sew Crafty Baby.
- Price: approximately $19.99 for a pack of 50 (cost per 100: about $40)
- Disposal: meets US and EU standards for composting or has a flushable inner core, or it can be thrown away
- Cloth alternatives: GroBaby offers snap-in cloth inserts for the cloth shells
bumGenius Flip System
- Works with: bumGenius Flip system, and bumGenius pocket diapers
- Availability: Cotton Babies website, beginning October 2009
- Price: approximately $4.95 for a package of 18 (cost per 100: about $27.50)
- Disposal: may be composted or thrown away. According to a blog entry from the manufacturer, Flip disposable inserts are not flushable.
- Cloth alternatives: the Flip is also available with a stay-dry microfiber insert or an organic cotton insert
Although each brand of disposable inserts is especially designed for a particular cover, many cloth diaper users report success with slipping them into other cloth diaper covers and pockets. Whether for occasional travel, daycare, or everyday use, disposable inserts can make environmentally friendly diapering easier.
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