Home composting is becoming increasingly popular, and we get asked fairly often about whether our wipes are suitable for it. Unlike many wipes that contain synthetic materials, Joonya baby wipes are made from natural fibers – sustainably-sourced wood pulp from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) certified suppliers. As such our wipes are considered ‘compostable’, which generally means the waste item breaks down completely in less than 12 months under proper conditions.
While almost everything is biodegradable over a long enough timeframe (think plastic over thousands of years), ‘compostability’ implies it breaks down quickly in proper soil conditions. Normal landfills rarely provide ‘proper soil conditions’ that allow micro-organisms to do their job in breaking down waste. Heat, oxygen and water also play a role in speeding up the process. Commercial composting operations provide better conditions, though it is worth investigating your local facility as they can be quite different in what they accept. You can learn more about biodegradation and landfill conditions by reading this informative article from the New Zealand Science Learning Hub of Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao.
Provided you have proper soil conditions, home composting is certainly an option for Joonya baby wipes. One thing worth considering is that chemical residue from the wipes will end up in the compost, and while the chemicals in our wipes are non-toxic to humans, micro-organisms in the soil may not thrive in soil that contains them. Soil ecology and knowing how micro-organisms react to the chemicals in Joonya wipes is not something we profess to be experts at, so further research is recommended. The other thing to consider is the possibility of harmful pathogens from the waste entering the soil as any human waste or bodily fluids are considered a biohazard and pose a safety risk. This is most important if you are considering using the compost on a vegetable garden.
Home composting can be very rewarding for your garden and the environment if we get it right, and we wholeheartedly support the practice to help build a sustainable future for our children. If you are new to the composting, here is a Beginner's Guide to Composting from the South Australian Government which you may find useful. Throwing our collective weight behind enhancing our local commercial composting facilities is likely the most practical thing for most of us to consider, at least for city dwellers with little space to play with.
As a final reminder, even though wipes can be compostable, flushing them down the toilet is never recommended, as they cause major harm to sewerage systems from blockages. Joonya would like to introduce a certified flushable wipe at some point, though the technology is still evolving and we are watching the space closely.
Hopefully the above helps clear up some of the questions you may have, though it may also have raised more questions than it answered! We are always here to assist where we can : )
