The Hybrid Diaper Battle: g Diapers Versus 7th Generation
July 30th 2007 by Dr.MOZ in Diapers, Green Products, New Parents
We’ve all heard the “Disposable Diaper VS Cloth Diaper” debate, and the pros and cons of each are pretty obvious. Parents want the convenience of the disposable without the guilt of knowing that they are throwing thousands of diapers in a landfill that will take approximately 500 years to decompose. This means that your great, great, great, grandchildren will one day be up to their necks in “diaper duty” thanks to our generation’s need for convenience. To make matters worse, most disposable diapers are created with chemicals known to be toxic which can be irritating to a baby’s skin and pollutes the soil when discarded. So…what are our options?
Unfortunately, we are still very limited but there are a few eco-groovy hybrid diapers like g Diapers and 7th Generation on the scene. One system uses a reusable shell with a flushable insert, and the other is a non-toxic disposable. We’ll provide a short introduction to each of the diapers below, and will look forward to hearing about your experiences. Click on the comments bubble above to let other parents know how these diapers worked (or didn’t work) for you.
g Diapers: www.gdiapers.com
g Diaper Product Summary
Inserts called “flushables” are pressed into a snap-in liner, and these liners are attached to the outer shell called “little g’pants.” When the diapers need changing, the flushable is taken out of the diaper and torn by tearing notches to make them safe to flush. Once the contents are inside the toilet, a “swishstick” is used to break apart the contents. The toilet is flushed and the outer flushable shell is added to the toilet in the end of the flushing cycle. If soiled, the snap-in liner can be washed and a new one inserted.
g Diaper Pros
As advertised the g Diaper’s benefits are: no perfumes, no elemental chlorine, no plastic layer, no dyes or inks, no latex, more convenient than cloth diapers, and flushables are biodegradable.
g Diaper Cons
Potential negatives: takes longer than disposable diaper option, swishstick not for everyone, swishstick system less portable than disposable diapers, expensive, flushing uses water, may have flushing issues in older homes with low-flow issues.
7th Generation Diapers: www.seventhgeneration.com
7th Generation Diaper Product Summary
7th Generation’s diapers are the more earth-friendly answer for those seeking a non-toxic disposable diaper. The American-made materials are chlorine-free, latex-free, non-toxic, and non-irritating to a baby’s skin. They are also quite thin which gives them a real advantage for babies “on the move” compared to others on the market.
7th Generation Pros
As advertised 7th Generation’s benefits are: convenient, chlorine free (no dioxins), hypo-allergenic, thin, no latex, no fragrance, no TBT, non-irritating, made in the USA, and the non-toxic materials make them better for landfills compared to other disposables.
7th Generation Cons
Potential negatives: adds to landfills, expensive, waste isn’t treated in sewer treatment facility, like all diapers these are not bio-degradable.
We’ve found posts relating to the great hybrid diaper debate in a few of our favorite blogs including urbanMamas and Parent Dish, so check them out as well! We’re looking forward to hearing what you have to say about these two brands now that more people have had a chance to give them a try. Click on the comments bubble above to let us know what you think.
Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ
July 30th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Hey these g Diapers look pretty cool! I can’t believe that I haven’t seen these before…anyone out there used them? The flush concept is brilliant!
July 30th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Hi Sue,
I saw your comment and thought you might be interested in the gDiapers online demo. They show the process of taking the “flushable” off the snap-in liner and flushing process.
gDiaper Video Link: http://www.gdiapers.com/watch_vid
Happy Flushing!
Dr.MOZ
July 31st, 2007 at 7:23 am
Thanks for the kind words about our Seventh Gen diapers, Dr. Moz. We see them as the healthy alternative for those who want a disposable diaper option. As you say, there are pros and cons to each approach. We just want to make sure that moms and dads who choose or need to use disposables have a non-toxic choice.
That said, we’re fans of g Diapers, too. They’re just the kind of outside-the-box idea that we like and a good alternative as well. Our general feeling is that it’s good to have different solutions available because it’s not a one-size-fits-all world. There’s more than one road to sustainability. As long as everyone is headed in that direction, we generally aren’t too concerned about how they’re getting there!
Keep up the good work!
–The Inkslinger
August 1st, 2007 at 12:17 pm
I’ve seen the gDiapers online before and they look interesting. I’m wondering what people do when they travel…do they carry the stick around with them? I guess they aren’t using their own toilet when they are out of the house, so perhaps they just flush and run. Ha! – Tammy
August 1st, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Hi there
My name is Jason Graham-Nye and I am the Co-founder / CEO / dad of gDiapers. Thanks for the mention. I agree very much with our mates over at 7th Generation. It is all about choice. Diapers are the oddest category in that for 40 years there has been extremely limited choice – cloth or disposable. Now there are many more alternatives which is good. For harried parents, I say whatever floats your boat!
Sue – babycenter.com has customer reviews and I promise I didn’t edit them!
Cheers
Jason
August 19th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
I use both gDiapers and 7th Generation. I find 7th Generation a little more handy for the diaper bag, but try to use gDiapers at home. As for the look of them, I like that the 7th Generation diapers are khaki colored and plain and I like the cute red and orange gDiapers pants. You will laugh at this, but what kept me from using gDiapers until a few months ago is that they don’t flush in our low flow toilets (and we have mopped up our share of messes because of them). BUT, I had a small epiphany a few months ago when I realized that you don’t HAVE to flush them, I could still just throw them in my diaper pail as I do with the 7th Generation diapers (I heard they decompose in a matter of weeks as opposed to 500 years…). Gee, why didn’t I think of that before?! Anyway, just wanted to share. When I use the gDiapers I smile each time because I know my efforts are going to make an impact in some small way for the planet for my baby girl and boy.
August 28th, 2007 at 2:25 am
[...] An article comparing and contrasting gDiapers and 7th Generation diapers [...]
September 10th, 2007 at 5:42 am
I just started using G’s. So far, I think they are great. They don’t take long to change and you can do more than just flush the liners. The liners (if just wet) can be used in a garden as they decompose. You can also just throw them out if you are not able to flush them. They do hold everything in really well. No leaks yet!!
If you are looking for an eco-friendly diaper, or just want something that your child will look cute in, these are the diapers to try.
January 24th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
I’m loving g diapers. Started using them when my daughter turned 8 weeks. I would not have tried using them earlier since we were just getting used to the whole legs moving/pooping and peeing while changing etc of having a new baby! G diapers aren’t the fastest thing – and it’s a bit awkward to get a new one in there before your baby “goes” again! Now that she poops less often, we use mostly the g diaper. We only use 7th generation as a supplement for traveling, having a babysitter, or if we know she’s do for a “doo”. They aren’t real fun to change when there’s anything other than pee in there, but overall, it’s a small sacrifice to do what we can to save this earth. I think regular diapers should be illegal. We shouldn’t be allowed to use anything that takes 500 years to biodegrade. I feel really good about using them and highly recommend. We didn’t like the flushable option (didn’t work well in our toilets), so we just throw them out.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:21 am
Anyone know where the G diapers are made? I heard China but wasn’t sure?? I think buying diapers from China is a bad idea. Not so much due to chemical issues as these do seem like cleaner diapers/cloths but just for the sake of continuing to give that country our business.
April 27th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Hi Lisa – According to their website, gDiapers are made in Nanjing, China and their Flushables are made in Ohio.
~ Dr.MOZ
May 16th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I don’t agree at all that it should be about choice. We are wasting precious resources, overwhelming landfills and polluting groundwater. You may think you’re saving money by buying disposable over g diapers, but clean up costs and health impacts are much greater. I use g diapers and I think 7th generation is not a great alternative; they’re not biodegradable and only chlorine free-whoopdie doo. Nature Baby Care actually makes biodegradable toss outs if you HAVE TO have that option. I’ve used g diapers for 7 months with my daughter and I couldn’t live with myself if I chose any other option.
June 4th, 2008 at 6:05 am
You guys do a wonderful job! Keep up the good work!!!
June 24th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Thank for making this valuable information available to the public.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Regarding tossing anything into a landfill: it usually doesn’t get to biodegrade. Even materials that are biodegradable can’t break down when sequestered away from oxygen and water. Thus, the flushable inserts do not break down in a landfill. However, that isn’t to say that they aren’t an improvement over disposables, if only because less of the diaper is being tossed. Other options including composting the wet ones (but not those soiled with fecal waste) or tearing them and flushing the fluffy inside bits (which flush away like toilet paper) and only tossing, or composting, the papery outer layer (the part most likely to cause clogs in older toilet systems).
Also, a point that hasn’t been made here is that cloth inserts can be used in the same g-pants, such that this one diaper system has a lot of flexibility for different situations and budgets.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
I love gDiapers! Once you get started, they are not much more expensive or harder to use than disposables!
July 20th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
LOVE Gdiapers!! We have been using them for 4 months with our now 10 month old son and think hey are great. It took a day or so to get used to them and figure them out, but have had no problems since. I get the diapers ready for the next day jus before I go to bed and am set for the day. I toss the wet ones (can’t compost where I live) and flush the messy ones. Changing a diaper is as quick as any diposable. I think it is all a breeze and the extra few minutes they take is worth it to help the environment!
August 12th, 2008 at 7:22 am
I used ‘em all…I wanted to use cloth right away while I was home – but I ended up having an emergency c-section and was not in a position to bend down to rinse them out for quite some time. I ended up using Pampers for a few months – then switched to cloth…then when my son went to day care, I did not have a choice but to switch back to disposables (Huggies this time – not that it makes a difference). My son was out of day care again from 14-16 months (grandma day care for summer months) at which point we decided to try g Diapers…honestly, mainly because I LOVE Julia Roberts and since she uses them. (Beside the point.) Now – he is back at day care and I asked them if they would be willing to try the g Diapers…so far so good (it’s only been one day)…except when we got home, the g pant was on backwards (LOL!). I love that there is an alternative to regular disposables. It broke my heart every time we threw a disposable away. I do not have the choice to use cloth diapers because of day care…but hopefully the g Diapers will work out…thanks for the choice! (Oh…I do not always flush them anymore because our water conserving toilet does NOT like them…and our house was built in 2001.) STILL…way better choice than disposables – in my opinion.
August 17th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Is there a pattern for the liners? Or any part of the g diaper that can be sewn to save money on the cost of these diapers.
Deeply appreciate any feed back.
Satirah
August 20th, 2008 at 11:19 am
I actually wrote the g Diaper company to let them know what a great concept they had. It’s the best looking cloth diaper I’ve seen by far (I’m in architecture & graphics, so I’m pretty picky about that). I also let them know the only reason I didn’t immediately commit to the system was that the refills cost about 1.5 times that of a regular diaper. One of the many reasons I considered cloth diapers was cost effectiveness. So, it was a blow to me that I would have to spend more to go green. (I realize some believe the cost should not be an issue and can respect that, too). I hope they can eventually make the inserts profitable and more affordable than regular diapers. And then there are no excuses left not to use them!
But, I also recently learned you can use cloth inserts instead of the disposables. That would help balance the cost of the disposable inserts, only using them while out and about. Good luck g Diapers!
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I’m composting my g diapers because (1) it seems the least wasteful, (2) to complete the food web cycle, and (3) I think my soil will benefit from the rich fertility offerred from human waste. I’m still evaluating how well they compost, anyone have experience with this?
August 23rd, 2008 at 12:55 pm
[...] a few that I think many of you may have been wondering about as well. Recent comments from an older post [...]
December 11th, 2008 at 9:40 am
I absolutely love gDiapers. They are the only diapers that allow my daughter to sleep through the night without leaking or developing a nasty rash. We came home from the hospital with some Pampers, which I used because I couldn’t stand the thought of throwing them out and making landfill waste for nothing, but even the “sensitive” variety left her with redness and bumps. We used 7th Gen. at home until she was big enough for the Medium g Diapers (she grew out of the small very quickly, but the mediums were still a bit large) and haven’t looked back. Now, that she’s in daycare, we’ve been using 7th Gen. there (also with no rash), but I’m considering asking them if they would be willing to try using the gs now that she’s bigger and less prone to peeing during a diaper change.
As for flushing, it’s not hard at all, once you’ve done a few times. My husband doesn’t even mind. And our three-year-old takes great delight in her job of “rinsing” the plastic liners (peed changes only) and watching the inserts go down the toilet.
I’d like to thank gDiapers for saving us a bundle on diaper rash ointment (Burt’s Bees has worked wonders, btw) and tons of heartache for a baby with a sensitive bum.
March 1st, 2009 at 4:42 pm
I am wondering about biodegradable diapers in general. From the comment above, I saw the Nature Babycare diapers and they also look like a good alternative. That said, I believe that anything (even an old apple core) can’t biodegrade in a dump. Am I missing something? Does anyone have any data on how long it ACTUALLY might take even a biodegradable diaper to biodegrade in a dump (given the lack of oxygen/compact nature of dumps)? Though well-meaning, would trashing biodegradable diapers (or inserts) vs. non-biodegradable diapers really make a difference?
March 9th, 2009 at 7:45 am
You will laugh at this, but what kept me from using gDiapers until a few months ago is that they don’t flush in our low flow toilets (and we have mopped up our share of messes because of them). BUT, I had a small epiphany a few months ago when I realized that you don’t HAVE to flush them, I could still just throw them in my diaper pail as I do with the 7th Generation diapers (I heard they decompose in a matter of weeks as opposed to 500 years…). Gee, why didn’t I think of that before?! Anyway, just wanted to share.