Nappy Review: Eco Boom Biodegradable Bamboo

Welcome to our eco baby product reviews. Baby nappies are what inspired us to start Planet Hugs and this review covers all aspects for one of the better disposable biodegradable bamboo nappies. Remember that you can check star ratings for each eco category; Plastics, Carbon Footprint and Recycling plus Quality and Cost as well as overall summary

By the nature of companies pushing for an eco image, many eco-friendly nappy brands aim to be environmentally friendly in other ways as well as having ethical advantages and being better for your baby’s health.

Our in-depth review covers everything eco-friendly plus lots more and our final review rating for Eco Boom is:

Eco Boom nappies are about as good as we’ve seen for the eco-minded parent who needs the ease of disposable. Its biodegradable vs plastic credentials are impressive (second only to reusables); as is the superb quality of the product for dryness, durability and containing no chemical ‘nasties’.

Here’s a breakdown of the rating summary in terms of Quality, Plastic, Climate, Recycling and Cost:

Quality:	[usr img=”cOwls-60.png” 5 size=60 text=”true” addtext=”performance / quality”]
Plastics:	[usr img=”cdrop-60.png” 4 size=60 text=”true” addtext=”plastic waste / pollution”]
Climate:	[usr img=”cFlores.png” 3.5 size=60 text=”true” addtext=”carbon / climate impact”]
Recycling:	[usr img=”crecy-60.png” 3.5 size=60 text=”true” addtext=”recycling / packaging”]
Costs:	[usr img=”ccash-60.png” 4 size=60 text=”true” addtext=”piece price”]

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Comfort – Super Soft & Flexible

Leakage – No Leaks

Nappy Rash – Zilch! Bamboo top & back sheets keep skin dry & airy

Durability – Strong Sticky Tabs

Health – Zero Nasties

Absorption – Impressive

Honestly – no negatives on quality

We were surprised to see the Eco Boom nappies tick all the boxes for performance quality. Normally you find a compromise somewhere, but they feel soft and flexible and proved to be robust enough to handle abuse from a range of active toddlers. Any force would struggle to hold back a baby or toddler on a mission and the thinness certainly helps allow them to move freely. On durability a common feedback point from users was around the good strength and hold on the sticky tabs.

Skin Sensitivity:

One of the headline grabbers, for us, was around baby health in terms of product sensitivity on skin where these nappies really excel, being chemical free with zero ‘nasties’ meaning they are extra sensitive and we saw no signs of nappy rash:

• No chlorine
• No alcohol or preservatives
• No latex, PVC, TBT or antioxidants
• No perfumes or lotions
• No Phthalates

Data from the manufacturer states that they are breathable with good thermal performance (cool in summer / warm in winter type thing). Our trials showed no nappy rash and skin tended to be dry not clammy, which suggests the breathable claim adds up. As for the thermal properties, we couldn’t really verify this directly, so will have to leave it open.

Quality: [usr img=”cOwls-60.png” 5 size=60 text=”true”]

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Plastics – market leader for lowest plastic in disposable

Recycling – packaging quite green

Biodegradable – fast breakdown of bio content

Sustainable Resources – bamboo & wood certified

Single use – it’s a disposable nappy

Climate – transport carbon footprint not ideal

The top-sheet and back-sheets are made from 100% bamboo fluff and the absorbent core contains some TCF wood pulp as padding (TCF means Totally Chlorine Free); both are 100% biodegradable and sourced sustainably and we were able to confirm that the wood pulp was FSC certified (more on certifications later).

Biodegradable:

Standard mainstream plastic nappies (e.g. Pampers / Huggies) typically take more than 500 hundred years to break down to any significant levels. Due to the high amounts of natural materials in Eco Boom, their ability to biodegrade is strong. Testing data sent to us from the manufacture showed 61% decomposition of the nappies in the first 11 weeks (75 days) under normal compost conditions (warmth, air and moisture are required). This testing was from an SGS laboratory and is based on carbon dioxide measurements. We’ve started our own qualitative composting tests and we’ll post results over time.

However, whenever we are talking about disposable eco nappies it is important to remember that no product out there is 100% compostable or even as close as we would really like. The best green nappies are up to 50% or 60% biodegradable materials.

We obtained materials info for the nappies showing the percentage of easily biodegradable natural materials (wood pulp and bamboo fluff) was 52-54% based on weight, depending on nappy size. See more detail on this in the Product Description section.To back this up, Eco Boom disposables are awarded the TUV Eco BioBased certification of 2 Stars

But how does this rate against other nappies?

Eco Boom is up there with the best for biodegradable content.

Compared to the best eco nappies out there Eco Boom certainly compete on the green front with the lowest levels of plastic – the graph above is based on Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory Data.

Our behind the scenes rating system takes into account 16 different aspects of what it means to be eco-friendly and 6 of them make up this ‘Plastics / Materials / Content section. The remaining ones include micro-plastic & fibres and impact to the environment of chemicals in products. The Eco Boom nappies appear to pose minimal likelihood of leading to release of micro plastic or plastic fibres into the eco-system. They are primarily made up of ‘pure’ ingredients with none of the chemical ‘nasties’ some nappies include (see Quality section for more on how they are sensitive on baby’ skin). It’s worth noting that since both the front and back sheets are made of natural bamboo fluff there is no plastic contacting your baby’s skin, again minimising the chance of nappy rash and other skin problems.

Plastics: [usr img=”cdrop-60.png” 4 size=60 text=”true”]

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We assess 6 elements for this section: starting with aspects of manufacture / production climate impact the signs are very encouraging. We obtained evidence of multiple mature energy efficiency schemes in place including on-site renewable energy initiatives at the factory along with carbon offset and ongoing waste reduction projects.

One of the more interesting insights was that there is no water used in production of the nappies. Water can be an intensive resource and often has associated water pollution struggles as well as exhaust gas impact (not trying to pick on China’s manufacturing industry, but, whilst improving massively, its track record was not good at all). So the absence of water within the processes is a huge plus.

The main disadvantage is the carbon impact from transport once the nappies leave the site. When measured per mile sea freight, for the large container vessels, is actually the cleanest form of transportation. However, what we’re talking about here is simply the vast distance from China to Europe. We run calculations on every product’s footprint all the way to the customer and this is what weighed down the score here.

Other positives in this category were around the sustainable sourcing of raw materials; particularly those key organic ingredients of bamboo and wood pulp.

Climate: [usr img=”cFlores.png” 3.5 size=60 text=”true”]

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Despite the good scores on packaging for ability to recycle, we score this category quite harshly for all ‘single-use’ products such as disposable nappies. We have a strong weighting toward anything that can be re-used and that’s what gave these only 3.5 out of 5 score – about as high as you can get for such nappies.

Recycling: [usr img=”crecy-60.png” 3.5 size=60 text=”true”]

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Based on the Quality and Green credentials we expected Eco Boom to sit in the high premium end of nappy prices. In truth, it competes well on price, even with much inferior nappies (e.g. Pampers and Pampers Pure) and certainly seems great value amongst the eco brands.

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Part of the likely reason it manages to stay good value is due to the jumbo pack size with 84 – 108 per box. Whereas some of the others tend to be small packs. Buying big is an eco approach anyway, so that’s fine with us and probably appeals to most eco parents.

The cost analysis is based on our in depth research across the important comparison brands through various shops and suppliers. Of course, if you shop around you’ll find the prices vary over time and through offers but for complete transparency we’ve added the full data used to make the graphs, along with other data comparisons, to the Gallery photos at the end of the review.

Cost: [usr img=”ccash-60.png” 4 size=60 text=”true”]

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Video Review

To accompany the main review we add a hands-on demo pulling out some of the key points and showing you how it all looks & feels; the nappies, the packaging and handling.

You can find this on our Planet Hugs YouTube channel – remember to click subscribe and any feedback you can leave is so appreciated.

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Product Description

Nappy Features:

The nappies have all the expected features such as flexible elastic waist band, wetness indicator, absorbent core and impressive strong elastic sticky tabs (as detailed in the quality review section). Where Eco Boom go above and beyond basic nappies is with details like using natural aloe oil rather than harsher non-natural alternatives and the soft material for the frontal tape which, like the packaging says (see below image), means you can get away with super quiet nappy changes even when she/he is dozing. Nappy rashes were no issue in our trials, which seems to be helped by good air circulation through the breathable bamboo and other materials used in contact with the baby’s skin.

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Certifications

Quality Standards

ISO 9001:

This is an international standard that demonstrates that the company has a quality management system (QMS) to consistently provide quality products that meet customer expectation and required regulations. It is a universal standard and, to some extent, an assumed quality level within Europe.

So, is ISO 9001 a big deal?

It feels commonplace…and it is, however, the baby product industry is a well regulated one for all the right reasons. Babies are, in some ways, fragile little beings. The industry knows this and the outcome means strict regulation, which in turn means high quality products for us parents.

EU CE Mark:

This is a really important feature as it indicates a declaration of conformity with health, safety and environmental protection standards for any products sold in Europe (EEA).

It’s worth remembering that Eco Boom are made in China where regulation has improved massively over the past decade, but there is still a huge difference between the best and the worst manufacturers. For a Chinese maker of baby nappies to be ISO 9001 certified with goods achieving EU CE standards filled us with a lot of confidence even before the samples arrived for inspection.

Note, also, that although Eco Boom nappies are quite new to the UK and Europe the nappies (or diapers as they’re called out there) are already very popular in the U.S. as well as other countries including Australia and Philippines.

D2W Degradable Bags:

D2W is an Oxo technology that speeds up the breakdown of plastic bags. The D2W is essentially an additive that makes the bag able to decompose quicker, given the right conditions; mainly oxygen but also moisture, warmth, microbes and, of course, time. The company that owns the technology (Symphony Environmental) state that the additive means that plastic products convert into genuinely biodegradable materials at the end of their life. Independent evidence suggests it helps compared to traditional polyethylene bags. However, the jury is certainly ‘still out’ on whether the technology offers a genuine solution. See Symphony’s own FAQ website for further info. We covered the packaging review and rating in the Eco Friendly section of this review.

SGS Testing:

SGS is a highly regarded global network of test labs and inspection facilities. SGS also runs a scheme called Audited Supplier Verification and MK Hygiene / Industrial has test labs accredited in this way.

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Company / Brand

Company Name

MK Hygiene (Hong Kong)

MK stands for Mom & Kids and was founded 2009. They run product development from in-house R&D design through to manufacture. Here’s their ‘Company Purpose’ statement; “customer-centric, integrity management, pragmatic innovation and taking social responsibility”.

Other Related Products:

• EcoBoom bamboo wet wipes
• EcoBoom pull-up pants

Sales regions with established supply:

• U.S.A
• UK
• Canada
• Philippines
• Australia
• Malaysia
• Chile

MK is based in China and produce a range of sanitary related products including nappies (or diapers as they say), pants, sanitary pads, panty liners, various wet / baby wipes and tissue products.

Although a new face in the European market, Eco Boom is an established brand in North America with strong sales though U.S. Amazon. They have now launched the nappies in the UK in 2020 with other eco / biodegradable products to follow.

Here’s their stand at the recent VIVANESS Natural Beauty Products Expo in Germany, February 2020:

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Conclusions

At the end of all our research trials and user feedback we are relieved and content that Eco Boom offers a genuinely greener option for disposable nappies without compromising, whatsoever, on performance and quality. Our reviews are geared to checking environmental, however, a fully green nappy that just doesn’t cut it is a huge waste of energy and material. That’s part of what we love about Eco Boom – they’re soft; they flex when toddler crawls; they fully absorb everything that’s thrown at them; they’re super sensitive on his/her skin and they’re really, really strong and long lasting.

To have that level of confidence and to see eco-credentials that surpass or match any disposable competitor…wow!

Lastly, we’ll mention cost. The first products became available in the UK market in 2019 and the pricing seems cheap. Of course, it costs more that your standard Pampers / Huggies, but competes with anything green we’ve seen when compared on a nappy piece cost basis.

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Discussion

As always, it is true that the greenest option is re-usable nappies, when managed in the correct way, but when looking for a convenient disposable choice whilst also having a significantly improved eco impact as a green, conscientious parent, the Eco Boom nappies have a lot going for them and come highly recommended both through our own weighted judging system and from the user feedback from Mums and Dads.

Some people we speak to do use cloths day to day when in their normal routines, around the house, at toddler groups and with access to the washer. Commonly they will choose to have disposables in stock, whether for certain outings (picnic, walk in the forest, long car journey, family holiday etc) and they want to minimise eco impact. For those people, biodegradable nappies are the solution.

For many other Mums and Dads they have consciously made the decision to go disposable but want to reduce their environmental impact as much a possible. Eco Boom contain plastic, true, but over half of every nappy is made up of natural, organic material that will compost down in a relatively short space of time. What’s more, that bio content is from sustainable sources. These are big ticks for any eco-minded parent.

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Gallery

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