Adult Diapers Total 7% of U.S. Landfill Waste –
How You Can Be a Part of the Solution
Guest post by Mandy Harrell
With Earth Day and Arbor Day right around the corner, it’s time to start looking at ways we can help the environment.
There are steps caregivers and the more than 30 million Americans living with urinary incontinence can take to be more eco-friendly.
Adult diapers occupy more than 3 times the number of children’s disposable diapers – 7 percent of all landfills or 17.5 million tons of garbage are adult diapers, making it the third largest consumer item in U.S. landfills.
With 30 million adult Americans living with urinary incontinence and landfills overflowing (one so large it can literally be seen from space), something needs to change.
Whether light, moderate, or heavy incontinence, many people deal with these issues with disposable adult diapers. Although sometimes labeled biodegradable, this can be a cryptic word without a clear meaning.
According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, not even biodegradable diapers break down in a landfill.
It can take up to 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose. Not only that, but Natural-Environment.com found that more than 82,000 tons of plastic and 250,000 trees are used to make disposable diapers each year.
Enter Wearever. Wearever offers an alternative that results in ZERO waste in a year compared to thousands of disposable diapers. It’s a line of men’s and women’s underwear that are washable and reusable, and feature an innovative absorbent pad. They work just as well as, if not better than, adult diapers for those living with urinary incontinence, but with the added benefits of better comfort (since they are made from cotton or similar fabrics rather than plastic), no embarrassment (since no one would know you are wearing them) and better for the environment. Even better, they save the average wearer about $500 a year over the cost of disposables.
The average wearer sends approximately 1,100 to 1,500 diapers a year to landfills. Multiplied by millions of wearers, that means billions of adult diapers each year.
When possible, elders and caregivers need to consider more environmentally friendly options. Using washable and reusable options won’t contribute to daily waste. Next time you’re picking out incontinence products, consider the impact of one day’s worth of disposable diapers multiplied by millions of people. The impact on our environment is significant.
Mandy Harrell is the brand manager for Wearever offering comfortable, quality, affordable and stylish apparel solutions for everyday health and wellness concerns. The men’s and women’s underwear line of washable, reusable urinary incontinence panties and briefs is especially beneficial for active individuals who want to continue their normal lifestyle without worry or emotional stress resulting from urinary incontinence.
In response to the article printed in The Caregiver’s Voice about adult undergarments. I was dismayed by the terminology “adult diaper” and embarrassed for the many elderly individuals who wear adult undergarments. I look forward to the articles in The Caregiver’s Voice and am always interested in perceptions and thoughts…are we not beyond using this disrespectful terminology for any adult individual?
I have worked in an assisted living community for almost 17 years and we treat our residents with a much higher level of respect and admiration. When we meet with family members occasionally they may use the term diaper. We politely encourage them to call it an undergarment and discuss the connotations that result in the use of “diaper.”
Where is the dignity and understanding for any adult individual that needs to wear an undergarment? Calling it a diaper for an adult is demeaning and condescending. I hate to point this out but the fact that most of us will need to use undergarments sometime in our lives is part of the aging process.
The next time you want to use “diaper” to describe an undergarment for an adult…think about how you would feel if they were talking about an article of clothing that YOU needed to wear?
Linda Schmidt
Bell Tower Residence
Linda, thank YOU for raising this issue. We at The Caregiver’s Voice should have known better and revised the use of this term in this guest post.
However, (if we try to look at the positive side)–this post and your comment, gives us an opportunity to raise this issue and remind everyone of the need to maintain dignity among our loved ones who experience incontinence.
You’re right. I surely would not want to think I were wearing a diaper … much rather call them incontinence briefs, adult undergarments, or another term, which has fewer negative and infant-like connotations.
Again, thank YOU for taking time to comment.
Bell Tower residents must be fortunate to enjoy a conscientious staff members like you.
Brenda Avadian
Brenda Great new web site. I like it! I bought 6 of these Wearever’s for my wife. She has not had an incident with them yet from a urinary standpoint but the did from the BM side. They are great in protection and also comfort. Marie praised them from the first night saying they are much more comfortable then Depends. PLus of course they do feel more like what she is used to. Thanks for the feed and for helping all of us cope with the trials and tribulations of all these diseases that rob our loved ones of their dignity.
Don, thank you for the kudos on the new website. I’m glad you like it.
I’m glad Marie finds them more comfortable. She’s being “green” by reducing what’s added to landfills. One little step at a time multiplied by the millions of loved ones who live with incontinence and we can make a significant impact!
Brenda Avadian