Cloth Diaper Malaysia – Natural & Eco-Friendly Living, Why Not!?

I received an e-mail from Cloth Diaper Malaysia reader all the way from Canada, Isha. She has a particular situation involving diapering while traveling. Below is what she wrote to me:

“I will be traveling to Singapore and KL. I would absolutely LOVE to continue to use my cloth while on holiday but, unfortunately, traveling arrangements, a rigorous visiting schedule and frequent changes in accommodation make this an impossible endeavor. So, I have been researching eco-friendly disposable alternatives and only came across one brand called Moltex Oko available in Singapore.  I thought I would drop you a line to see if you have any other suggestions/recommendations that I might have missed?”

Cloth diapering while traveling can be a challenge. You are not in the comforts of your own home, so you might be concerned with things such as:

• How many cloth diapers should I bring? Which type?
• Should I bring along all my other cloth diaper accessories?
• How and where to launder my cloth diapers?
• Will I have the time to wash and care for my cloth diapers?

So what are the options to diaper my baby while I’m traveling away from home?

ECO-FRIENDLY DISPOSABLE DIAPERS

There are many ways to make Cloth Diapering during your travels possible. Isha mentioned one of them: To use eco-friendly (disposable) alternatives. It is not entirely “wrong” to use disposables, let us remind ourselves that disposable diapers are meant to be used for its convenience. So while travelling, it could be the most logical thing to do.

However even if you use disposables, you can still make a difference to mother earth by choosing the types which are eco-friendlier (I specifically mention eco-friendli-”er” because you are still creating some amount of waste because you throw them away after each use. However, the difference is the type of waste you’re creating, they might be less harmful for the environment).

Isha highlighted the eco-friendly disposable diaper brand, Moltex Oko. It can be purchased in Malaysia through the  blogshop Baby Kiddies. Apparently it’s the only brand available over here though.

So what I would like to offer to Isha is another solution: Hybrid Diapers.

WHAT ARE HYBRID DIAPERS?

• “Best of both worlds”: Diapers which combine the convenience of disposable diapers along with the reusabililty of Cloth Diapers.
• Consists of: Reusable diaper cover and use of disposable insert/inner (thrown away after it is used). Hybrid diapers also comes with washable inserts, so you can fully use cloth when you’re at home.
• Advantages: Less plastic waste is generated because only the insert is thrown away; more convenient to use compared to cloth diapers especially when travelling or going out (no need to store wet/dirty cloth diapers to bring home); Inserts are usually eco-friendly/biodegradable; Also means babies are less exposed to chemicals, and it is less harmful to the environment; Flexible 2 in 1 system -Fully cloth diaper at home, and while travelling use disposable inserts!

WHAT ARE SOME BRANDS OF HYBRID DIAPERS AVAILABLE?

Here are some brands of hybrid cloth diapers that you may find in Malaysia:

1. MyEcoNappy – Proudly a Malaysian designed hybrid diaper!  You may find these in retail outlets such as Babyland, Planete Enfante Mamours, World of Cartoons & Bebe Homes
2. Mothercare Smart Nappy system – available in Mothercare retail outlets in Malaysia
3. Gro Baby – Available at My Baby Pit Stop, My Cheeky Boo, BabyMyLuv, Mia Bambina online stores.
4. Flip – Available at Babyz N Mom online store.
5. gDiapers – I personally feel these has a great design. Unfortunately, no Malaysian retailers carry these yet.

Personally, I feel Hybrid Diapers are such a great innovation! You can get a set and use the reusable, washable inserts for home, and when you are out or travelling, there is an option to go (semi) disposable! Super!!

Question: Any Hybrid Cloth Diaper users out there? How do you like your Hybrids?

What do you need to Cloth Diaper outside home? Read about It’s Easy to Cloth Diaper on the Go