Frequently Asked Questions
It has always been the debate: which one is better than the other? Well, from an environmental perspective, research has shown that neither washable nor disposable nappy systems are better or worse for the environment than the other. They simply affect different parts of the environment to a different extent (UK Environmental Agency - 2005).
With this in mind then it is really up to each parent to decide which diaper they want to adopt, and the choice can be grim. On the one hand, cloth diapers are accused of using more water (a scarce resource), more electricity (requiring fossil fuels or nuclear energy to generate) and releasing increasing amounts of detergents and bleaches in nature. And this is not including the amount of time it takes away from the already busy parents' schedule. On the other hand disposables are said to kill trees, use plastics and chemical bleaches during manufacturing generating harmful industrial effluents, cause nappy rashes, and clutter our landfills for hundreds of years.
So if you ask us cloth or disposables? Well. baby first: we chose the diaper which will protect our baby first, then protect our environment as much as possible. Besides the cloth diapers, the only disposable available fitting the bill was the Moltex Oko. And from experience, the convenience of the disposable is really unbeatable.
It is true that while Etienne used cloth diapers he never developed a rash - mind you, cloth diapers have to be changed every 2 or 3 hours so not enough time for the skin to get affected. But it is also not true that all babies wearing disposables will develop a rash - a myth developed by some industry players in order to justify their use of harmful chemicals in their absorbent gels.
As responsible parents, changing baby should be part of the ordinary feed, play, sleep routine. Wearing a disposable does not mean one has to leave his baby carrying overloaded nappies - this is plain selfish. The trend is for manufacturers of disposables to brag at how many 'wettings' the diaper can handle, or how many hours a reusable lining can last, without having to be changed. Remember that diapers are not about you as a parent but what you can do for your baby. And the little ones deserve to remain clean and happy, and to be changed as often as needs be.
The Moltex Oko has added benefits as it is produced with unbleached cellulose for softer touch on baby skin. It is also less likely to irritate their skin, cause nappy rash or allergic reactions as it has no chlorine, deodorants, dyes, lotions, antioxidants or unnecessary chemicals.
Disposable diapers are a fairly recent addition to the modern parents' toolbox, and as for many of the post-war inventions, maybe the manufacturers initially overlooked a 'few details' to say the least.
Most of the claims against disposable diapers focus on the harm done to the environment during the manufacturing process. According to these claims disposables are using oil, energy, kill trees, and use lots of chemicals bad for the skin and for the environment. The second argument against the disposable relates to waste management. Numbers greatly vary but it is estimated that disposables alone represent up to 5% of the total solid waste in our landfills, and take up to 500 years to decompose.
The Moltex Oko answers all these issues and is the true environmentally friendly disposable diaper. Manufactured in Germany with 50% renewable resources from controlled cultivation, it does not use antioxidants, dyes or perfumes, has a 100% chlorine free absorbent core made of unbleached cellulose (bleaching used to whiten diapers is a known human carcinogen, and the process generates serious environmental pollutants), and a protective film which is 100% biodegradable. And the Moltex Oko is the only diaper we know which can be naturally broken down and turned into compost naturally within 8 weeks.
From manufacturing to waste management, the Moltex Oko is the best thing we can do for our environment when it comes to diapering systems.
Environmental claims are most fashionable these days but what do they really mean?
Some disposable diapers advertised on the market make claims way beyond what the manufacturers intended. If it is true that some manufacturers are now using renewable resources and are managing their processes in a more environmentally friendly manner. Their efforts are to be acknowledged, the products perform very well, but their environmental claim stops here.
One such claim is how entirely biodegradable the diaper is. As far as we know, only the Moltex Oko has had such a claim proven by end users. Through vermicomposting - using earthworms to decompose and transform waste into usable compost - several teams in Ireland have demonstrated that the Moltex Oko can be entirely be broken down in 8 weeks. For more information see the excellent site of Eco Baby: http://www.ecobaby.ie.
A lot of literature on the web and in magazines is truly one sided - and this is certainly true of the argument cloth vs. disposable diaper. So next time you read the "Top Ten Arguments for/against." keep your eyes, and your critical mind, open.
TWICE AS GOOD FOR YOUR BABY
Pro-ecology
- manufactured with more than 50% renewable resources from controlled cultivation.
- produced with unbleached cellulose.
- 100% chlorine-free absorbent core and 20% biodegradable absorbent gel.
- 100% biodegradable breathable protective film.
Pro-baby comfort
- elastic fastening system for a perfect fit.
- classified as "skin friendly" in dermatological test.
For more information on why the Moltex Oko is the most desirable disposable diaper solution, please see the excellent page of Moltex Oko's Western Australia distributor:
Packing of the Moltex uses biodegrable bags which consist of partly of starch from renewable materials. The bag can be recycled and compostable. Singapore weather, with high heat and high humidity content, naturally accelerates the process. This explains why some bags may split prematurely. This however does not affect the diapers themselves.
These are absorbent material which is not whitened therefore visible. Depending on the batch we receive from the manufacture these brown particles are more or less visible. There is no impact on the diaper's performance.
