Sewage
Ever wonder what happens to those applicators you flush? Before 1987, they went straight into the ocean through the outfalls at Macaulay Point and Clover Point. They would then wash up on the beaches - gross! Thanks to citizen outcry, they are now caught in 6mm screens (the only treatment any of your sewage receives!) and trucked twice a week to the Hartland Landfill. If you must use applicators, consider choosing the cardboard instead of the plastic ones, as they will biodegrade much faster. You could also avoid applicators altogether. Check out the alternatives page!
Resources
Disposables also require cutting trees for the paper pulp and using fossil fuels for the plastics, and many chemicals are used in the processing process that can be harmful to you and the environment. It has been estimated that 4.5 trees need to be cut down and made into pulp each year to supply disposable diapers for one infant (4).
Parasites
Diapers are also a public health issue as most parents don't dispose of feces at home and intestinal viruses common in infants end up in local landfills (4). Human feces may contain harmful pathogens that can seep into ground water and be potentially spread by wildlife. For example, the poliovirus has been detected in landfills due to diapers from recently vaccinated children (5).
Dioxins
The household phrase 'whiter than white' comes with serious consequences. Natural materials that are not normally white must be bleached to become white at the risk of major environmental impacts. The fluff pulp used to make tampons, pads and diapers is now made using chlorine dioxide instead of chlorine gas (6). As such, there are less dioxins being released into the environment; however, the products made by this process are not completely dioxin free (2). Dioxins are dangerous because they are lipophilic or fat loving and accumulate in the fat cells of animals and humans alike. Besides dioxins, other organochlorines are also a by-product of the bleaching process although the type and amount has not been characterized.
Plastics
The plastic 'leak-proof' backing on diapers and pads is made of non-biodegradable polypropylene plastic, as is the cover of some products (5). The sheer amount of packaging in commonly available disposables is also a concern as is the vast numbers of plastic applicators that have been flushed. In some areas plastic applicators litter the beach and they are also having a negative effect on seabirds and marine mammals (2).
1. CRD. November 21, 2001. Waste Stream Composition Study.
4. Scott, A. & Armstrong, L. 1992. Whitewash: Exposing the Health and Environmental Dangers of Women's Sanitary Products and Disposable Diapers-What you can do about it. HarperCollins.
