If you’re a new parent, the chances are you’re changing between 50-80 diapers every week.
While we can’t help to reduce the number of diapers piling up, we can answer any questions you might have about the best way to dispose of their soiled diapers at home.
Dirty diapers are full of human waste and, as such, pose a potential health (and contamination) risk.
The good news is, disposing of their diapers safely isn’t rocket science. We’ve outlined a couple of quick and easy steps that you can take to dispose of your little one’s big messes at home. You’ve got this.
Are disposable nappies biodegradable?
Unfortunately, no.
Disposable diapers aren’t the most eco-conscious option on the market. Like most of your household waste, dirty diapers will often end up being burnt, or slowly decomposing in a landfill.
If you’d like a more planet-friendly option that’s still quick and convenient, you could try biodegradable diapers, ‘half-and-half' diapers (which you can dispose of normally), or go for full cloth with washable diapers.
Reusable cloth diapers will save you a lot of money over time and they’re often kinder on sensitive skin. They do, however, require a lot more effort. If you’re not organized, you could find yourself without a fresh diaper when you really need one!
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Will my disposable diapers go out of date?
Short answer? No, not really.
If your firstborn has grown out of their diapers, it’s (generally) fine to stash any spares in the cupboard until baby number 2 needs them.
Some diaper brands include an expiry date on their packaging, but normally that refers to the expiration of the coloring used on the diapers, rather than the diaper itself. Healthline recommends using your diapers within 2 years of purchase, but we can’t find much info out there that suggests continuing to use ‘expired’ diapers is in any way harmful for your baby.
If anything, they might be a little less absorbent, or a little less stretchy than brand-new diapers - but nothing to worry about.
Can I put dirty diapers in my general waste bin?
Absolutely.
We’d recommend using a dedicated diaper bin for less mess, less stress (and fewer trips to the outside bin), but you can throw used diapers in your general waste bin. If you’re going to use the main bin, there are a few things you can do to minimize contamination (and bad smells).
If you can, we’d advise dumping the contents of your dirty diaper into the toilet bowl, before wrapping it in a diaper bag and throwing away. It might sound like a lot of extra (unpleasant) work, but it’s worth it – human waste belongs in the toilet really, and the less waste that ends up in a landfill, the better!
If you don’t have any diaper bags to hand, you can always wrap it up with a Ziploc or plastic bag (unless, of course, you’ve got our innovative Twist & Click nappy bin, which wraps every soiled diaper individually, trapping unpleasant odors and killing harmful germs).
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