Report exposes dirty truths about flushable green diapers

It is hard to deny that there are certain unflappable truths  about the gDiaper that give it a competitive edge in the green diaper market. Mainly it offers the convenience of tossing a diaper in the toilet without having to deal with the stink. Well, there may be more of a stink than one would originally think, especially when it comes to the environment.

A recent study by the city of Vancouver looked into the impact that the flushable gDiaper had on sewage systems, water, and the environment. The results of the green diaper, although maybe on a micro scale, are no doubt both disgusting and disturbing.

The study focused primarily on the flushability of the product. Anyone who has bought a gDiaper most likely knows that the gDiaper can also be composted or thrown away. But because the gDiaper differentiates itself through its flushability claim, it is important to understand exactly what happens once the toilet lever is pressed.

The diaper's environmental impact can be understood in two parts: through the rag material and the residue left behind.

First, the rag material from the gDiaper's disposable pad swells up to about the size of a soccer ball (as this is what any absorbent diaper is supposed to do), and it ultimately creates a build up of material waste at the pump stations and the collection stations. The built-up diapers then trap water and other solids in these areas which not only adds extra maintenance work to be removed, but also makes it increasingly difficult on the fluidized bed furnace.

The fluidized bed furnace is intended to "convert biomass waste products into a combustible gas." Essentially the extra water and solids from the build-ups decrease efficiency and increase the amount of energy needed to convert the solids into a gas.

The result, according to the study is that "more diesel fuel would be consumed due to the higher water content of the sludge. Ultimately, more carbon dioxide would be discharged to the atmosphere, and more ash would be created for disposal."

Second, and less visible, is the impact that the left over residue from the green diaper had on the waste water. The gDiaper uses a cellulose fluff material in the liner that takes much longer than a few days in the sewage system to decompose.

During its time in the system, the groupings of cellulose particles interfered with the UV disinfection system by absorbing the UV wavelengths intended to disrupt and destroy the pathogens created mostly by human waste. The result was that the water that was then discharged into the river had a greater number of pathogens.

Simply put, the disinfection system didn't work nearly as well when the water was contaminated with the cellulose from the diaper.

It certainly is not an appealing thought to think of where those dirty, flushable, supposedly green diapers head off to once flushed down the drain, but it should certainly not be an afterthought.

A lot more is happening than a fun, convenient swirl down the toilet.