Diaper Composting

Why is Composting Important?

Composting returns organic matter and nutrients to the earth, and it reduces the amount of waste going to landfills. As part of waste reduction efforts in many U.S. cities, residents are requesting municipal composting programs. Boo continues to be on the forefront of sustainable diapering, and continues ot look for more ways to reduce the number of diapers in landfills.

A common misconception is that diapers can be placed in home compost bins. While this is not the case, products like Boo diapers can be broken fastest as part of a industrial composting system. A typical landfill is sealed to prevent waste from polluting air, soil, and water. But biodegradable and compostable products can be composted at a professional facility in order to “close the loop.” For example, in the Seattle region, Diaper Stork provides customers Boo Diapers as part of their Compostable Diaper Service, which are picked up and taken to their local facility.

One way that sh*t to change the world, is by converting it into useful nutrient-rich material. When processed properly, used Boo Diapers might end up as garden compost, municipal landscaping, or raw materials for manufacturing products containing recycled content. The outcome depends on whether the diapers are composted at home or by a commercial composting operation. We recommend checking out findacomposter.com.

Liquid waste (urine) and solid waste (feces) take different routes to reusability

Diaper Composting Instructions

Composting Wet Diapers

Because human urine is generally sterile, Boo diapers containing urine only (no feces) can be composted at home. To break down Boo diapers, your home composting system must maintain an optimal temperature, moisture level, and oxygen level as well as the correct ratio between brown and green materials, about 30:1 (For more information, see the Resources section below.)

To compost a wet Boo diaper, follow these three steps:

Step 1: Remove the two side tabs and the fastening strip that runs across the front of the diaper. Toss all three items into your regular trash.
Step 2: Add the diaper to your compost tumbler, bin, or open-air pile as a flat piece rather than a wad. If you’re feeling particularly earthy, cut the diaper into smaller pieces. We recommend against using worm bins (a.k.a., vermicomposters). The average number of diapers generated by a baby will quickly overwhelm the typical worm bin.
Step 3: Moisten the diaper thoroughly to jumpstart decomposition.

YES: water, coffee or tea without creamer, juice, beer, wine, and food-prep water from rinsing, steaming, or soaking fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains.

NO: water or other liquid that has come into contact with meat, dairy, or other animal products.

To speed decomposition, it is recommended to turn your compost every three weeks. However, this may vary depending on conditions and your specific composting techniques.

Composting Soiled Diapers

Human waste, like animal waste, contains pathogens that require high heat to be properly composted. Most home compositing systems can’t maintain these high heat levels. We recommend finding a commercial composter in your area that accepts solid waste.

Before disposing of soiled Boo diapers, remove both side tabs and the fastening strip, as in step 1, above.

Resources, Tips, and Tricks

1. Browns and Greens - In a home composting system, the ideal balance of brown materials (carbon) to green materials (nitrogen) is 30:1.

The greenest thing you can do with "browns" is to compost them on-site. If you have the space, consider building a humanure compost bin. Joseph Jenkins tells you how in The Humanure Handbook and The Compost Toilet Handbook. He recommends that a humanure compost bin, once full, be left to sit for a year. No turning required (phew!).

2. Does your city compost? These 15 cities have compost programs.

3. Read about children’s book author, Peggy Rathmann and her husband in this New York Timesarticle, “Can Dirt Save the Earth?”

The above information and links above are fromindependent resources. Boo does not have any affiliation with these organizations and we always recommend seeking professional help for your composting questions/process to ensure maximum safety. Have other recommended resources?Let us know!