Moms opt for eco-friendly diapers

Moms opt for eco-friendly diapers

PUNE: More and more mothers in the city have switched to eco-friendly cloth diapers to maintain the hygiene of their children. The eco-friendly cloth diapers which can be reused and recycled, have become the most preferred pick by young mothers. These diapers are easily available in multiple stores and online as well.

“I used disposable diapers for my elder son which caused a lot of allergies and rashes on his skin. So this time, I decided to use the old, yet a new type of cloth diapers which are eco-friendly and in a way cheaper as compared to the regular disposable diapers,” said Poorna Mahalingam who switched to eco-friendly cloth diapers a year ago. “A cloth diaper can cost as much as a packet of regular diapers, but these cloth diapers can be reused for at least 3 years. This makes it a one time buy,” said Mahalingam.

Another young mother from Pune, Nitali Tadkalkar, said, “These diapers can be used for four hours and are good to handle even during the outings. They are breathable for the kids, leakproof and cheaper in rates.”

Shweta Jain, who shifted to Pune two years ago, said, “Since the birth of my child, I never used disposable diapers. For the first three months, we used the old cloth napkins commonly known as ‘langot’ or ‘potda’. After three months, my husband and I decided to use cloth diapers. We have always been concerned about the environment but still, in starting I was nervous about this decision, however, later these diapers turned out to be a blessing not just for my child but for us as well.”

Anuradha Rao, Founder of Bumpadum, the company that manufactures eco-friendly cloth diapers stated that nearly 27 million babies are born in India every year and 1.3 tonnes of waste of disposable diapers is collected in landfills. These disposable diapers are not decomposed in the land and harm the environment.

Rao, who returned from the US, had started this company in 2016 after she realised there were no such diapers available in India. “I had to buy single-use diapers then. But looking at the increasing pile of diapers in the dustbin, disappointed me,” said Rao who left her job to start the company.

Rao was highly concerned about environmental effects due to waste of diapers and she decided to manufacture these eco-friendly diapers herself. 

Marathi and Hindi TV actress Mukta Bhave Ketkar started her own company, Happy Baby Creations three years ago in Pune for cloth diapers and other baby products. “During my first pregnancy, I read a lot about the advantages and disadvantages of disposable diapers. Hence, I decided to stick with the old ‘langots’, but they were not convenient at night. Then I came across cloth diapers on the Internet and decided to order some. After a few months, I read about how to make these diapers and made a few on my own. I was very satisfied when I started using them, so I started my own company,” said Ketkar.

She further added, “Although, a lot has changed in the recent years, a lot of people still need to be made aware about the harms of disposable diapers and the importance of eco-friendly cloth diapers.”

WHY USE CLOTH DIAPER?
A cloth diaper or cloth nappy is a reusable diaper made from natural fibres, man-made materials, or a combination of both. They are often made from industrial cotton. Man-made materials such as an internal absorbent layer of microfiber towelling or an external waterproof layer of polyurethane laminate (PUL) is used. Cloth diapers can be easily washed, are cheap and can be used up to three years.

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