Read the GECA report (364Kb PDF)
On 12th July 2007, Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) endorsed Moltex Eco Nappies with its Good Environmental Choice Award.
The GECA Ecolabel rewards environmental excellence, and the award recognises that Moltex Eco Nappies are environmentally preferable to other disposable nappies available on the Australian market.
Moltex Eco Nappies are at least as effective as the leading brands. Their absorbency is excellent, and no additional padding is required, even for the wettest periods, such as overnight.
Whether parents choose cloth, disposables, or a combination of these, the convenience of disposable nappies is unquestionable. The down-sides for many parents are the well-documented environmental impact of conventional disposables, and the possible health impact on babies using them.
The impact of disposable nappies is directly related to the substances used in the manufacture of the nappy, the amount of resources used, how well the nappy works (how many are needed daily) and the method of disposal. The Moltex Eco nappy is good news on all of these fronts.
The synthetic perfumes used in many conventional disposables to combat odour can be harmful to sensitive skin. Ironically, the bleach residues or other chemicals found in many disposables can react with urine, causing odours other than those naturally associated with baby, hence the perfumes.
Synthetic lotions are put into some nappies. These are like oils and are meant to be waterproof, but become rancid over time. Chemical antioxidants are added to lotions to make them stay fresh longer. Moltex Eco nappies have no lotions, and no need for antioxidants, which is better for baby, and better for the environment.
TBT (tributyl tin) is an environmental pollutant with a hormone-like effect. The smallest concentrations of TBT can harm people's immune systems and impair their hormonal system (Taken from a report by Greenpeace - 19 May 2000. Full details of the report can be found at: http://archive.greenpeace.org/pressreleases/toxics/2000may192.html)
Moltex Eco Nappies use pure natural green tea leaf to help minimise odour, which has also proven very effective in protecting against fungi, viruses and yeast, which can cause nappy rash. It naturally contains cell constructing substances such as vitamins A, B and C which are essential for cell metabolism.
Moltex’s Eco Nappies are beige in colour as they are manufactured using 50% unbleached wood pulp and 50% ecf ( elementary chlorine free ) bleached wood pulp, reported to be the least polluting type of quality paper available.
Packaging used for Moltex’s Eco Nappies is made using 100% degradable maize starch and has perforations for easy re-use as a compost or bin bag.
The alarming contribution that disposable nappies make to landfill in Australia is a big environmental problem. Moltex Eco Nappies can be added to compost instead of landfill sites. They have proven to breakdown to make excellent compost within 8-10 weeks in a wormery. The minimal super-absorbent material used in the nappy gives excellent water retention properties to the compost, and is widely used as a soil-wetter, which is especially relevant to our climate.
Would you like to know more? A quick web-search for Moltex Eco will generally give you about 40,000 sites to choose from, but a couple that we have found useful are:
For FAQs visit EcoDirect (Moltex’s Sydney agent)
To learn about composting the nappies visit Ecobaby (Moltex’s distributor in Ireland)