A Zero Waste Lunchtime in Japan

Japan is well known for giving the upmost importance to safety and organization. From the first years of elementary they are taught how to put safety first (安全・安心一番), how to keep everything organized and clean. And, without even being aware, they are taught some very important rules about how to be Zero Waste.

Lunchtime is one example. Watch how the school makes their students’ lunch from scratch. How they use locally grown vegetables to create a nutritiously balanced meal. How the students all bring their own tableware, including chopsticks and cups. And how, at the end of every meal they make sure no food is left!

Baby poop and zero waste diapers

Here I am, 3 months after giving birth, finally able to sit down and write for a few minutes before my baby wakes up again. I tell you, a newborn is, like everybody tells you, hard work, but it’s also very rewarding. The first time (s)he opens his(her) eyes, the first time (s)he grabs your hand, his(her) first smile, every milestone, no matter how small, makes up for all the sleep deprived nights, zombie faces looking back from the mirror and countless hours of research about which baby poop color is normal and which is not 🙂

I have researched the topic during my pregnancy and got to the conclusion that “the most zero waste way” to deal with baby poop, is to buy cloth diapers. You know, the diapers made of cloth material, that after you use you wash and use again? I was already emotionally prepared to face the dreaded fact of touching poop and doing laundry every single day, for the sake of protecting the environment and my child’s sensitive hiney. I squeezed my wallet and bought a few adjustable cloth diapers so that I can use since birth until potty trained.

Then pop goes the baby (literally, I had an instant spontaneous birth in which the baby literally popped out without me needing to push – I forced my delivery by actively walking and doing housework during labour). And the first thing I realize… the diapers are too big and bulky for my 2.2kg baby! I felt really sad to see that my plan to bring into this world a zero waste baby has failed from day 1.

So there I was back to the drawing board. I thought `If I can’t use my cloth diapers yet, the least I can do is to search for paper diapers I can throw away without feeling guilty.`That’s how I discovered the existence of bio-degradable diapers. Woo-hoo! You can’t even imagine my joy!!

Then I saw the prices and my heart sank. I needed to pay 3 times as much for a pack of diapers that contains 60%(!) less diapers than the pack I usually buy. Which means I have to pay 280% of the price of one pack of common cheap paper diapers to keep my zero waste promise… Now I am sorry but, as much as I would like to, I am just not able to invest such an amount in bio-degradable nappies… 😦 I’m already living out of my savings.

So, I am still searching for the best bargain in earth-and-baby-skin-friendly reasonably-priced paper diapers for my 3 months old. Any ideas?

Please note that in North America, Europe and Australia there are a few very good companies who sell such diapers at a cheaper price than here in Japan. You should check them out. You can probably find them at very acceptable prices!

Also leave a comment if you have already used such diapers, tell us how satisfied you are with their performance or price. Don’t forget to mention what country you are from!

See you!