eco friendly baby wipes
eco-friendly baby wipes, green baby wipes, eco baby wipes

compostable baby wipes

photo from Elements Naturals

If you're really trying to be green, the best thing you can do is use a washcloth to clean your baby's bottom. You'll cut down on all the packaging and baby wipes that end up sitting in a landfill somewhere.

You can also try eco-friendly brands out there like Seventh Generation or Earth's Best—they're good for your baby because they're nontoxic, chlorine-free, alcohol-free, and unscented, but the plastic box and used wipes still end up in a landfill, and that's not so good for the earth your little one will inherit and inhabit.

I just learned from StrollerTraffic that now there's another option. Elements Naturals just came out with new baby wipes that are not only better for your baby, they're better for the planet. Unlike traditional wipes, which are made from a blend of polyester, propylene, cotton, wood pulp, and rayon, Elements Naturals are made from Ingeo fibers, which are made from a renewable resource (something that replenishes itself quickly so we're not likely to run out of it anytime soon). The wipes are produced using less fossil fuel resources and greenhouse gases than other wipes, and the packaging uses 60% plastic than the usual tub. Plus, they're compostable, which means they'll decompose rather than sit in a landfill piling up for the next 100 years (they biodegrade in 180 days and they won't leach harmful toxins into the soil).

Elements Naturals wipes are also better for your baby than traditional wipes—they contain certified organic aloe vera, and they're free of chemicals, fragrance, and chlorine. They're available at the Green Baby section at Diapers.com, and will be coming to more stores this spring.

What do you think? Would you try the new earth-friendly diaper wipes?