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As responsible parents, we all want to choose wipes that are kind to our baby's sensitive skin, but equally kind to the planet.
Many people don't realize the massive environmental impact of regular wet wipes. The problem is, they contain plastic.
First, they block our sewers, before eventually finding their way into rivers and oceans. There, they add to the plastic pollution that kills marine life, as well as releasing microfibers that contaminate our drinking water.
Clearly, this needs to stop! The good news is that there are two possible solutions: plastic-free, organic reusable wipes, or disposable biodegradable baby wipes.
In this guide, I'll show you the best of both, so you can decide which is right for you.
I'll start by showing you the best in reusable wipes. but if you're sure it's disposables you need, you can jump ahead:
Jump to: Reusable Baby Wipes | Biodegradable Baby Wipes.
✔ Organic cotton
✔ GOTS Certified
✔ Affordably Priced
They Say: Luxurious organic flannelette baby wipes. Soft and absorbent and generously sized at 9 by 9 inches prior to washing. The reusable alternative to disposable wipes. Attractive unbleached fabric and soft colored edging.
We Say: As mentioned in my biodegradable diapers article, my sister-in-law (and my baby nephew) are both big fans of ClothDiaper.com as they meet all her reusable diaper needs.
It turns out they’re pretty handy on the reusable wipes front as well.
They’re the cheapest option in the reusable list (just $10.95 for 12 wipes if you buy three packs)…but quality has not been compromised.
GOTS-certified organic cotton has been used to make these 9” x 9” reusable wipes, and they’re nice and soft to the touch.
✔ GOTS Organic Cotton
✔ 1% For The Planet
✔ Very Soft on Delicate Skin
They Say: Our organic washable wipes are super-soft on delicate baby skin and generously sized to handle the messiest of diaper messes. Instead of going through endless packs of disposable wipes, 30 Wipe Ups are all you’ll need from birth through potty training.
We Say: Made responsibly in Pakistan, these reusable organic cotton wipes are as eco-friendly as it gets.
Simply dip in water and wipe. Easy!
For bigger/messier jobs, you might want to add a few drops of baby wash to the water.
Esembly only uses GOTS-certified organic cotton and is a member of 1% For The Planet.
With green ideals like that, you can be sure that you’re doing the best for your baby AND future generations of babies to come.
To hygienically store your reusable wipes (and diapers) until you have a full load to wash, I also recommend the Esembly diaper pail pouch liner. You can use it to line a trash can or simply hang it on a hook.
Need your baby wipes urgently? No problem - these products ship same day in plastic-free recycled packaging.
✔ 100% Organic Cotton
✔ Easy to Wash
✔ Fully Compostable
We Say: A quick mention for Healthybaby cotton dry wipes.
For the ultimate convenience and eco-friendliness, you can add organic cotton dry wipes to your Healthybaby diaper subscription.
These wipes are made from 100% organic cotton with no hidden nasties.
They’re soft, strong, and wash very well.
They’ll also fully compost (at home or commercially) once they’ve reached the end of their usable life.
✔ FSC-Certified Bamboo Sheets
✔ USDA Certified 99% Biobased
✔ Luxuriously Soft
I love that EcoPea Co wipes are made with naturally hypoallergenic and renewable bamboo, carefully selected for its effectiveness and environmentally friendly properties. It's free from harmful chemicals and incredibly soft.
Your little one will absolutely love that these wipes contain infused aloe, chamomile, and cucumber extracts renowned for their gentle and moisturizing effects on delicate bums.
However, what truly sets these plant-based wipes apart and makes them excel is their exceptional thickness. They possess incredible resilience and provide an assurance that they are capable of handling any task, regardless of the nature of the mess! 💩
✔ Compostable
✔ Carbon Offsetting
✔ OEKO TEX Standard 100
They Say: Wow, did you realize how many toxic ingredients are in the traditional baby wipes found in your local store? With names like Bronopol, Triclosan, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate, Parabens (this one is an alphabet soup, as it could be butyl, ethyl, methyl, and propyl) and a bunch more, you know the stuff is bad if you cannot even pronounce it! Come on, do they really expect us to put that stuff on our precious babies? We are smarter than that!
We Say: DYPER is my top pick for eco-friendly diapers, and they also get the nod when it comes to biodegradable baby wipes.
The list of ingredients is short and publicly available. No hidden nasties here!
DYPER will collect these wipes (and also diapers) to be commercially composted. You can read more about this service in my eco diaper article here.
Ingredients: Water (99%), Less Than 1%: Glycerin, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Benzethonium Chloride, Citric Acid
✔ Compostable
✔ Vegan
✔ BPA free
They Say: Made from 100% compostable materials from renewable and plant-based resources, these wipes are fragrance free and contain chemicals or plastics. They're both hypoallergenic and vegan so they won't irritate the skin while cleaning and contain calming, organic ingredients like aloe vera leaf juice. Perfect for cleaning baby bottoms and wiping sticky faces and hands. Simply use these wet wipes, then compost them! Happy baby, happy home!
We Say: ECO by Naty wowed me with their eco-friendly diapers, and they’ve done it again with their eco-friendly wet wipes.
Simply made from 100% natural fiber and a small list of natural and organic ingredients, these sensitive skin wipes keep your eco-conscience clean and your baby squeaky clean.
You’ll notice that these earth-friendly baby wipes are thin in places, and they might stick together occasionally. This is to aid the biodegrading process and a small price to pay for a zero-waste wipe.
Ordering these unscented wipes from EarthHero also means you can return the external plastic pouch to be recycled through their TerraCycle take-back program.
Ingredients: Aqua, Gluconolactone, Potassium Sorbate, Propanediol, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract*, Calcium Gluconate, Citric Acid.
*Cosmos organic certified
✔ Plant Based & Biodegradable
✔ Zero Harsh Chemicals
✔ Larger than Average
We Say: A quick mention for Healthybaby disposable wet wipes.
For the ultimate convenience and eco-friendliness, you can add plant-based wet wipes to your Healthybaby diaper subscription.
They’re soft, strong, and clean without any harsh chemicals.
In my diaper article, I concluded that disposable compostable diapers were the greener option when compared to reusable diapers.
So, it surely stands to reason that the same applies to eco-friendly baby wipes?
Actually, no. This time around, I feel reusable has the edge…JUST! Read to the end to find out why.
Disposable baby wipes can be compostable (or at the very least biodegradable) if they’re made from suitable materials.
When choosing disposable baby wipes (also known as wet wipes), you should be looking for ones made from organic materials and free from the following:
Disposable wipes that break down into smaller elements under specific conditions (usually in a commercial facility) are biodegradable. They don’t break down completely. Some traces of material will remain.
Disposable baby wipes that break entirely into natural/organic material are compostable.
But the crucial facts that not all parents realize are that regular wipes are made using plastic (usually rayon fibers) and can’t be disposed of sustainably. That's why they typically end up in landfill, and pollute the environment.
Manufacturers swap plastic fibers for natural fibers (such as bamboo and organic wood pulp) to make wipes biodegradable or compostable.
Your baby’s skin can be super sensitive, so reusable baby cloths are usually made from the purest organic fabric. Often cotton, bamboo, hemp, or linen. Organic cotton is best in my eyes.
Using pure organic fabric makes reusable wipes genuinely compostable.
You need to know what you’re looking for when shopping for reusable or biodegradable baby wipes and I hope at least one of my recommendations will suit your needs.
Things I took into consideration when making my choices include:
Unsure about buying disposable baby wipes? Why not take the truly sustainable option and go DIY?
Making your own eco-friendly wipes is simple and a great way to give old fabric a new lease of life. You can also cut down on packaging and manufacturing, and save money into the bargain!
Baby wipes should always be disposed of properly. Ideally, they should be recycled, biodegraded, or composted.
NEVER flush wet wipes down the toilet. Even if the pack says they’re flushable wipes, it's not a chance worth taking. You don’t want to take the chance of blocking your plumbing or adding to the neighborhood wipeburg/fatburg.
Truly biodegradable and/or compostable wipe brands include DYPER, ECO by Naty, and Healthybaby.
Yes, biodegradable wipes are designed to break down, and they will do so if they are disposed of properly.
If the wipes are made from natural materials like bamboo or cotton, and don't contain synthetic fibers or chemicals, they have the potential to break down in the right conditions.
If used baby wipes are thrown in the trash and sent to a landfill, they may not have access to the oxygen and microbes needed to biodegrade. But if they are composted in a proper facility, they are more likely to break down naturally.
Yep. Pretty much. All baby wipes can be used as wet wipes. However, depending on the ingredients and how sensitive your baby’s skin is, not all wet wipes are suitable to use as baby wipes.
All the disposable hypoallergenic wipes in this article are made with limited ingredients and should be fine for your baby's delicate skin.
However, to be 100% certain you’re cutting out all potential sensitive skin issues, you might be better sticking to 100% organic reusable wipes and water. Zero harsh chemicals, guaranteed!
Costco/Kirkland baby wipes were not part of my tests, so I don’t have first-hand brand experience.
However, the Costco website makes no mention of these wipes being biodegradable. I’ve contacted them for clarification.
Unlike diapers (where I feel the best option is high-quality compostable), having considered the pros and cons, in my view I feel the best eco-friendly wipes are reusable ones.
According to Esembly, you only need around 30 of their reusable wipes to get you from birth to the end of potty training.
Compare that to the thousands of disposable wipes you’d get through.
A baby will get through around 7,000 diapers before they’re potty trained.
Most diaper changes will probably need two wipes. So you’re looking at using a total of 14,000 wipes per baby. And that’s not even including any extra you’ll use for spit-ups, etc.
Even when using the best biodegradable wipes you can buy, 14,000+ items to buy and dispose of compared to 30 is a bit of a no-brainer for me. Both in terms of cost and environmental impact.
Yes. You have the laundering of the reusable wipes.
However, unlike with reusable diapers, I would feel happy washing reusable wipes with other clothing items - once the worst of any poop, etc., has been hand rinsed out first (using water butt water, of course!) - so the cost and inconvenience are less.
However, there is no denying that disposable wet wipes offer a lot of convenience, and buying the occasional pack for when you’re out and about with your baby isn’t going to harm the environment excessively. Particularly if you go for one of the compostable brands mentioned in this article.
Where do you buy your eco-friendly baby wipes? Are you in the reusable or disposable camp? Do you have a great DIY hack for homemade natural wipes? Drop me a line and let me know.
Our core values mean we always prioritize sustainability over profit. We carefully evaluate and personally test every product to ensure they meet our high standards. All products recommended in this article were tested in accordance with our Review Methodology.
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