From a mother’s handbag to the deepest point in the ocean and everything in between, baby wipes are everywhere. These wipes tend to be “disposable” since they instantly turn lathery and do not require sluicing. The popularity of baby wipes has reached its acme with their potential of disinfecting and getting tossed away after use. However, regular baby wipes are not the best baby wipes to use for several reasons. Read on to find out why! I will also list some of the best natural baby wipes!

Baby wipes are usually carried by parents for immediate
cleanups and nappy changes. The fact that the regular baby wipes are also used
for better toilet cleaning may not take one off guard. All in all, wet wipes
are not only convenient, but also indispensable for everyday use. People have
been using baby wipes as an alternative for toilet paper, and many other
purposes such as, wiping off stains and dusting.

However, the use of regular baby wipes must be ABANDONED for reasons that will take you aback. 

WHY YOU SHOULD STOP USING REGULAR BABY WIPES

1. THEY ARE MADE OF PLASTIC

In technical terms, regular baby wipes can be disposed
easily. However, their disposal certainly does not cause them to disintegrate
into thin air. These wipes do not disappear; they LAYER over something else to inflict environmental mayhem.
Unfortunately, regular baby wipes are made of non-biodegradable plastic fibers.
These fibers decompose into million other tiny pieces that eventually wash up
on beaches in the most bizarre forms.

Have you ever thought about the origins of plastic that are
used in regular baby wipes? It’s simple! Our LAND contributes a lot to the excess supply of plastic on our
planet. We get all the plastic from industrial areas, litter, landfills, etc.
Ecofriendly baby wipes are not what one can expect with the involvement of
plastic. Here’s the BAD NEWS; the
baby wipes that you use to caress your baby’s bottom are made out of the same
plastic fibers found in diapers, food packaging, soda and water bottles,
merchant boats- the list is endless!

The material may appear to be soft on the surface
particularly because of its texture; more likely a facade. Plastic resins
blended with cotton, polypropylene, or PET are the three materials that make up
most of the regular baby wipes used all across the world.

Contrary to the biodegradable and ecofriendly baby wipes, recycling
is a big NO NO when it comes to the
regular baby wipes. In other words, the regular baby wipes make their way into
the landfills, and subsequently end up in oceans. Later, these are broken down
into micro-plastics.

Do you still believe that you are using biodegradable baby wipes? Think again!

2. OCEAN POLLUTION

This is an extension of our first justification of not using
the regular baby wipes. It must not come as a surprise to any of us that our
oceans are in a fine kettle of fish. Ocean crisis can be explained by plastic
layering on the ocean beds. As discussed earlier, plastic degrades into bits
and pieces that commonly pertain to micro-plastics. Micro-plastics are
persistent and omnipresent; they are not only found in our lakes and bays, but
also in the water that we drink everyday to keep ourselves hydrated!

Plastic in the wipes is not only injurious to us humans, but also to the marine life. Sea turtles and various other sea creatures tend to mistake these baby wipes for jellyfish. Therefore, these “plastic jellyfishes” end up in their tummies that result in a slow and painful death. The marine wildlife, both small and large, has a thing for micro-plastics. When the life-threatening plastic fibers are consumed by the small sea creatures, they tend to stay in their systems. These small marine animals often fall prey to those who are on the upper hierarchy of the food-chain, eventually resulting in their death as well, due to starvation.

Increasing evidence proposes that the entire plastic threat
to the aquatic wildlife is not limited to consumption; debris may smother or
entangle these animals. This shall not only enervate or injure them, but also
result in their absolute extermination.

Th regular baby wipes we have stuffed in our handbags and cabinets are, in no way, eco friendly baby wipes. These are the death sentences that intend to put the entire aquatic wildlife in jeopardy!

As per the recent estimates, if the decomposition of plastic is not handled properly and its use is extended beyond control, the oceans of earth will have less fish and more plastic in about three decades from now.

3. SEWER BLOCKAGES

Regular baby wipes are also responsible for sewage blockages that cost cities and taxpayers millions of dollars. If you are flushing regular baby wipes, stop now. They clog up pipes because the do not dissolve in water.

4. OTHER REASONS

Keeping a track of the food-chain, who appears to be on the
top? Unfortunately, it is US. We
happen to be the final predators. Decades of research and analysis have
revealed that seafood consists of micro-plastics that humans tend to intake
while munching on prawns, fish, crabs, lobsters and so much more. However,
there is a dire need of more research insights on the consumption of
micro-plastics impacting human health so that risks could be identified.

To our knowledge, plastics discharge substances that tend to
be of toxic nature. As we are already mindful of the fact that plastics in the
stomachs of aquatic animals fester, there is a high likelihood that they will
break down in our stomachs in very much the same manner. During this process,
the probability of a discharge of deleterious substances shoots up. If we were
using best natural baby wipes, we would not have been sitting here and
wondering how much plastic is curled up into our intestines.

Regular baby wipes have attracted a lot of bad publicity in
the recent years. Failure to use biodegradable baby wipes can take over a
century for plastic in the regular baby wipes to vanish from landfills. When
these wipes are flushed down the toilets, they clog the sewers. The next step
is ocean pollution, as discussed earlier!

It really does not have to be the way it is. It is high time that we start using best natural baby wipes because these are BIODEGRADABLE and ECO-FRIENDLY.

Baby Wipes – A Growing Environmental Threat

The consumer wipes market is expected to grow at 2.5% per year. We as consumers are becoming more concerned about cleanliness and are attracted to the ease of use of disposable wipes. As the population grows, and increased awareness of cleanliness grows, our wipe consumption is going to multiply exponentially.

Consumers have a voice – USE IT!

We as consumers have a voice and can essentially control the market by our buying habits. If more consumers purchase biodegradable wipes and refuse wipes created with plastics, the plastic wipes will phase out and be replaced with their eco-friendly counter parts. This will only happen if each and every one of us is aware of the dangers and threats to the environment that regular baby wipes pose, and makes conscious buying decisions based on that threat.

WARNING: SOME BABY WIPES LABELED AS “NATURAL” ARE NOT BIODEGRADABLE

This is an important thing to take into consideration when purchasing natural and biodegradable baby wipes. Some baby wipes are advertised as being natural – this can mean many things. It can mean that there are no chemicals in the liquid that is used, but the wipes themselves are still made of plastic. THIS IS VERY MISLEADING TO CONSUMERS. You have to read the packaging to understand, and even after reading some packages, I am still confused. Your best bet is to purchase baby wipes that specifically say “BIODEGRADABLE”. These wipes do not have plastic and are not harmful for the environment. 

If your baby wipes say “DO NOT FLUSH” they are more than likely not biodegradable.  The baby wipes listed below are natural AND biodegradable, meaning there are no dangerous chemicals in the cleaning liquid and they do not contain plastic.