9 Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Diapers To Change For The Better
Dirty diaper?
Dirty planet.
Look, we know you don’t want to spend more time thinking about eco-friendly diapers than you have to—especially considering a parent will change around 2,500 of them in just.one.year.
Diapers are doing us dirty and for anyone looking to raise an eco-baby, this issue shouldn’t be at the bottom (pun definitely intended) of our priority list.
None of us want to examine diapers up close, but it’s what we have to do.
Don’t worry, we brought the nose plugs!
Putting new meaning to making conscious parenting changes, we’re looking for sustainable diapers that are better for babies and the big blue rock we call home.
So, which diapers are most sustainable?
Everything we recommend to you on Sustainable Jungle is independently researched and we ask all brands to confirm their claims. To avoid waste, we test products on an as needed basis. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about why we do this here.
The Best Sustainable Diapers For Baby’s Bottom
Eco by Naty tops the list with their eco-friendly disposable diapers made without 200 common diaper chemicals.
Kudos‘ combine cotton, sugarcane, and trees with DoubleDry™ technology to keep your baby’s bottom chemical and chafe-free.
Tired of bamboo viscose being marketed as eco-friendly?
So is Freestyle, which is why their bamboo diapers are raw bamboo pulp that is 55% more absorbent than leading eco diapers.
For the dirty details on how we picked each eco-friendly diaper brand, wipe your way right to the bottom.
The Most Sustainable Diaper Brands For Your Baby
- Kudos | Visit Store
- Freestyle | Visit Store
- Eco by Naty | Visit Store
- Momgaroo | Visit Store
- Kit & Kin | Visit Store
- Ecoriginals | Visit Store
- Esembly | Visit Store
- Bambo Nature | Visit Store
- Essentially Eco | Visit Store
1. Kudos
About Kudos
Price Range: $78–$88 per 198 eco baby diapers
When it comes to the best disposable eco-friendly diapers in the US, we have to give kudos to Kudos.
This BIPOC woman-owned brand has mastered the absorbent factor, keeping messes contained, especially when used as eco-friendly overnight diapers.
Six sizes of the Ultimate Diaper are designed to fit newborns to babies 30+ pounds.
You can either subscribe or bundle with their 100% natural wet wipes to make for more affordable eco-friendly diapers.
Because your baby (and you) look at their diapers so often, they make them with eye-catching “fun prints to poo in” to help with cognitive development.
Kudos’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Kudos is the first and only eco-friendly disposable diaper brand bearing the cotton natural™ seal from Cotton Inc for using 100% unbleached cotton liners.
The leak protection powers that make these suitable as sustainable overnight diapers come from the DoubleDry™ layers of corn starch PLA and sugar cane polyethylene paired with an absorbent core made from FSC-certified tree pulp.
The SAP, leg elastic, waistband, and closures are still petrochemical-based, but once viable plant-based alternatives exist, they’ll switch.
OEKO TEX-certified, they’re tested to be free of chlorine, lotion, latex, fragrances, parabens, and phthalates.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Their US offices are run by a team of MIT Engineers and moms.
Their TruCotton is sourced from US farms and the diapers are manufactured under the highest standards in Germany.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Packaging consists of sugarcane-based PE bags and a reusable and recyclable diaper caddy made of paper.
While the diapers themselves are not compostable or flushable, Kudos aims to keep improving until they can eventually produce the world’s first 100% biodegradable diaper.
They’re also exploring partnerships with industrial composting facilities to give their products a better end-of-life outcome.
2. Freestyle
About Freestyle
Price Range: $78–$92 per 168 eco diapers
The founders of Freestyle thought “parenting needed a fresh look” which is why they started making the best bamboo diapers on the market.
Unlike other brands that utilize chemically processed bamboo viscose, Freestyle uses pulp, which also makes their diapers 55% more absorbent than leading brands.
Plus, each one features a cute, abstract pattern reminiscent of the bamboo they’re made from.
They range from size 1 eco-friendly newborn diapers to size 6, suitable for babies 35+ pounds.
Freestyle’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Freestyle’s feature a proprietary 100% tree-free, BambooTek™ core made of FSC and Ecocert-certified organic bamboo fabric pulp, not bamboo viscose.
That also means they’re free from harmful chemicals like chlorine, phthalates, and fragrances, making them safe for both babies and the environment.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Freestyle ensures all suppliers follow fair labor practices and meet high environmental standards.
They prioritize working with local suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint and support local communities.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Freestyle uses renewable energy sources and offset their carbon emissions by investing in carbon-reducing projects around the world.
They also work to reduce packaging waste by using recycled and biodegradable materials.
Charitable giving:
They donate a portion of their profits to organizations that work to protect the environment and support children’s health and education.
3. Eco By Naty
About Eco by Naty
Price Range: $13–$87 per 26–156 diapers
Say bye-bye to oil-based plastics with the eco disposable diapers from Eco by Naty—recommended by 4 out of 5 dads!
Striving to create the most environmentally friendly diapers made with compostable ingredients, they overcame many barriers to become one of the leading eco diaper brands globally.
If you prefer doing your shopping locally, know they’re some of the best eco-friendly disposable diapers Target carries.
Eco by Naty’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Made with 100% FSC-certified wood pulp and a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) core, these diapers are certified vegan, OEKO-TEX, and OK Biobased by TÜV Austria.
They’re almost entirely biobased, except for 20% of the leakage barrier.
While not compostable, they are ISO/IEC 17025 biodegradable, as certified by lab analysis from the Biobased and Biogenic Carbon Testing Laboratory.
They’re dyed with low-impact dyes and made without more than the 200 common diaper chemical suspects, like VOCs, parabens, latex, or fragrance,
Supply chain & labor practices:
A code of conduct holds all Chinese manufacturers and suppliers to Naty’s ethical and environmental standards.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Packaging for their eco-friendly baby diapers is made from plant-based materials.
While their feminine care line, disposal bags, and biodegradable baby wipes are compostable, the diapers aren’t, though that’s the eventual goal.
Track this eco-friendly diaper brand’s progress in their sustainability report.
Community & charitable giving:
Instead of hiding their ingenuity with patents, they encourage other companies to adapt and make the market better.
4. Momgaroo
About Momgaroo
Price Range: $33–$265 per 3–24 eco-friendly reusable diapers
Veronica was inspired to create sustainable cloth diapers after successfully using them on her second child.
Problem was, she went overboard and had to get rid of some.
Momgaroo was born, and now they offer machine washable eco-friendly diapers in pretty pastels and sets of 6, 12, 24, or 36 packs.
With an easy, adjustable snap closure, these one-size diapers are suitable for newborns to 3-year-olds.
Momgaroo’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Momgaroo’s eco-friendly reusable diapers come with three insert choices: microfiber, organic hemp, or organic charcoal bamboo insert—all with different absorbency benefits.
The bamboo insert is soft and breathable, on top of the fact that bamboo is naturally deodorizing, antibacterial, hypoallergenic, and fast-drying—cumulatively preventing skin irritation and diaper rash.
Hemp fabric is strong, soft, and water-absorbent. Trapped air in the hemp fibers is warmed by the body, which can help keep your baby snug in cooler weather.
The outer layer of the diapers is waterproof, washable, and reusable PUL, with a soft suede cloth inner layer.
But Mongaroo’s best eco diapers are the 100% hemp AiO diapers.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The family-operated team includes Veronica (who handmakes the diapers) and her three assistants—her son Henry as the photography assistant, daughter Chloe as the shipping assistant and model, and son Rufus, the baby who loves showing off his diapered bottom.
5. Kit & Kin
About Kit & Kin
Price Range: £8–£32 per 28–112 eco nappies
Kit & Kin offers something kind for baby skin in the form of diapers sans parabens, chlorine bleach, latex, or fragrances.
And since the best eco-friendly disposable diapers can actually make changing time fun (okay, sort of), theirs feature adorable animals that might make you forget what gross stuff will end up inside.
In addition to diapers in 1-6 sizes, they offer 100% biodegradable wipes, skincare, and clothes.
They’re also by far some of the cheapest eco-friendly diapers UK readers have access to.
Kit & Kin’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
FSC-certified wood pulp, sugarcane, and chlorine-free, bio-based SAP go into Kit & Kin’s collection of the top sustainable diapers.
These are all biodegradable, save for the velcro closures and elastic leg loops.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Their carbon-neutral factory is located in the Czech Republic, where ethical operations are monitored as per their Certified B Corp status.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Your eco-friendly diapers will come in fully recyclable packaging.
Community & charitable giving:
In addition to donating wipes and diapers to those in need, the Kit & Kin Foundation provides healthcare, scholarships, and family planning resources for women and children in the UK.
It also funds rainforest protection.
6. Ecoriginals
About Ecoriginals
Price Range: $30–$170 per 1–144 ecological diapers
Offering some of the earth friendly disposable diapers in Australia, Ecorginals has your baby’s bum covered in non-toxic materials.
While not fully biodegradable diapers, they are 90% of the way there.
To suit your needs, whatever they may be, they offer options to buy solo or subscribe for more affordable sustainable diapers.
For something reusable, don’t miss the EcoNaps 2.0, the world’s first plastic-neutral and recycled cloth diapers—in gorgeous nature-inspired prints that bring some pizzazz to an otherwise poopy process.
Ecoriginals’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These 90% natural eco-friendly diapers feature FSC-certified wood pulp, undyed cotton, and non-GMO corn starch.
The remaining non-biodegradable 10% is reserved for the front taps and leg holes made of polyethylene and spandex.
Everything is held together with stitching or plant-based glue.
Their recycled cloth diapers feature rPET and bamboo,
Supply chain & labor practices:
China currently possesses the only machinery needed to make their diapers, but they would ultimately prefer producing in Australia or New Zealand, like their wipes.
Materials come from China, Japan, and the US.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
The factory in China recycles all water, and the New Zealand factory runs on 100% renewable energy.
Beyond using recyclable cardboard boxes and home compostable diaper wraps, Ecoriginals is plastic neutral through Plastic Bank.
Community & charitable giving:
Each order plants one tree through Ecologi.
7. Esembly
About Esembly
Price Range: $12–$19
Made by parents for parents, Esembly creates some of the most eco-friendly recycled disposable diapers.
What started with a subway ride and an exploding diaper followed by tears (for both mom and baby) became one of the best sustainable reusable diaper brands thanks to their innovative biodegradable diaper liners.
Esembly’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their earth friendly diapers are made with a layered GOTS-certified organic cotton core.
That’s paired with a waterproof recycled diaper top layer made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and TPU laminate. It bears a non-toxic OEKO-TEX certification.
For eco-friendly overnight diapers, add an absorbent diaper booster made from stay-dry fleece and organic cotton.
Their take on the most eco-friendly disposable diapers mean liners made with 100% biodegradable bamboo viscose.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Esembly responsibly produces its reusable cloth diapers in Pakistan and China.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
The best diapers for the environment are those that don’t end up in landfills. Thanks to their resale and recycle program, you can recycle diapers through Esembly in exchange for a gift card.
They ‘diaper’ the diapers in 100% recycled and fully recyclable materials.
Community & charitable giving:
Esembly is a member of 1% for the Planet.
8. Bambo Nature
About Bambo Nature
Price Range: $12–$149 per 26–432 eco diapers
For more than 30 years, Bambo Nature has been redefining the standards of natural baby products for nature’s greatest little miracles.
They carry everything to get you through those formative years, including leakproof diapers, wipes, skincare, and training pants.
There are two choices for eco-friendly diapers: Dream or Overnight. The latter boasts a bit more absorbency, but both are equipped with wetness indicators and a fully breathable backsheet,
Bambo Nature’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Made of plant-based polyethylene and FSC-certified sustainably harvested pulp, each disposable diaper is allergy-friendly and contains no dyes, parabens, chemicals, or perfumes.
They’re certified by Nordic Ecolabel and have been dermatologically tested by ProDERM and ATC GmbH.
Supply chain & labor practices:
These sustainable diapers are made in an ethically sound Danish factory.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Bambo Nature voluntarily undergoes environmental inspections for every product, using criteria based on the entire life cycle.
Their parent company Abena uses an efficient diaper machine that allows them to conserve energy and other resources.
Bambo Nature’s packaging can be either recycled or composted, and they recycle 95% of waste, including the powder and dust from their plant.
9. Essentially Eco UK
About Essentially Eco UK
Price Range: $12
Essential Eco UK’s reusable sustainable baby diapers minimize plastic consumption and save money.
They come in a range of adorable designs and are to be used with cloth inserts.
In addition to eco-friendly cloth diapers, shop-owner Donna also sells scrub hats, face masks, reusable sanitary pads, and more.
Essentially Eco UK’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The cloth inserts are made from a triple layer of microfiber, and the inner material is made with suede cloth.
The PUL outer layer is washable but should not be dried.
Supply chain & labor practices:
These eco-friendly baby diapers are handmade in the UK.
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Why Buy Eco-Friendly Diapers?
Are diapers eco-friendly?
Considering traditional diapers make up around 2% of landfill waste in the U.S., that’s a big baby no.
The US alone throws away 20 billion disposable diapers to the tune of 3.5 million tons every year—where they take around 500 years to decompose.
Then there’s waste we don’t see, like the 100 different viruses that may enter nearby groundwater every time a diaper is thrown away. Or the harmful chemicals that make diapers absorbent.
Completing the wasteful trifecta, traditional disposable diapers are putting that college tuition fund down the toilet too.
Until your baby’s potty trained, those single-use toilet bags will rack up a grand total of around $2,000.
Eco-friendly reusable diapers have their drawbacks (namely, you actually have to know how to wash cloth nappies) but they’re better from a zero waste baby standpoint.
Be sure to wash them with zero waste laundry detergent and while we’re usually proponents of washing in cold water to save energy, you’ll definitely want to use hot water here.
How We Found The Best Eco-Friendly Diapers
Dirty diaper contents aside, there’s a lot of s*** in the diaper industry.
Do eco-friendly diapers exist and if so, how do you know which ones qualify? Are Huggies diapers sustainable?
As a new parent, we know you’re already faced with a gazillion decisions about how to support that adorable, snuggly, constantly-pooping mini human in your life.
The easiest way to think about what makes a diaper eco-friendly is from the sustainable fashion standpoint— sustainable baby clothes, if you like.
Materials:
Most diapers can’t be recycled because they’re made with soft plastic.
Since traditional synthetic fabrics are not the most sustainable fabrics, we like to see sustainable diapers made with plant-based or recycled plastic, or none at all.
Instead of polypropylene, polyethylene, and bleach, these brands use plant-based and sustainably-harvested plant pulps processed without excessive chemicals.
What is the most eco-friendly way to diaper?
The zero waste way via eco-friendly cloth diapers. These reusable alternatives to disposable diapers utilize the same materials found in organic play mats and organic baby wipes like organic cotton, hemp, or bamboo—but only that processed without the toxic chemicals that are sometimes used to soften bamboo pulp.
Following reusables, it would then be biodegradable nappies—though it’s important to note that the answer to the question, “Are there compostable diapers?” is still unfortunately no.
A recycled-plastic bottle outer layer is the best way to make the diaper both leak-proof and low-waste, but most of these options still use PUL.
- Certifications: Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), OEKO-TEX, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Nordic Ecolabel, TÜV Austria OK Biobased
Supply chain & labor practices:
Responsible manufacturing hasn’t really made it into the sustainable diaper discussion just yet, but we are happy that some brands are considering it and sharing where their eco-friendly diapers are made.
- Certifications: Fair trade, Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI)
Carbon commitments & green practices:
The best clean diaper brands use eco-conscious manufacturing practices, repurposing waste, minimizing water and energy requirements, using eco-friendly packaging, and implementing programs to responsibly recycle diapers.
Community & charitable giving:
While not a required component to the answer to what makes a diaper sustainable, helping cultivate a world we’d be proud to raise babies in is an added bonus.
Being a brand that gives back can mean anything from planting trees to donating diapers and baby products to those in need.
Final Thoughts On Sustainable Baby Diapers
Doody calls!
We know that changing diapers is hard enough, so we certainly don’t want to burden you any further.
Now you know how to take care of it in a way that’s better for bums and better for the planet.
That said, if you’re wondering what is the most sustainable diaper, it’s one that also works best for you, your baby, and your budget.
There’s also nothing wrong with experimenting.
If cloth diapering is a hurdle you’re not totally ready to jump, try them out part-time at home. Save the most sustainable disposable diapers for outings or when your child’s at daycare or with a babysitter.
Parenting is a journey and there’s no poo-fect solution.
If you have your eco changing game filed, help out another planet-minded parent by passing along this list of the best eco-friendly diapers to prevent diaper rash on the planet.
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