To make them appear whiter and cleaner, many diapers can be bleached with chlorine. But this type of processing isn’t so clean for your baby or your planet. We explain why.
Exposure to dioxins
Chlorine bleaching leaves behind a toxic residue or chemical by-product called dioxins.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that continued exposure to dioxins can harm children's reproductive and immune systems, alter liver function, disrupt hormones, and even cause cancer.
According to the WHO, once dioxins enter the body, they last a long time because of their chemical stability and their ability to be absorbed by fat tissue, where they are then stored in the body. Their life in the body is estimated to be 7 to 11 years
Harmful for the planet
When chlorine is used in the bleaching process, it is believed that it can enter local water supplies and leach into soil, harming the planet.
What’s ECF?
Some diapers are marked ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free). This means that elemental chlorine is not used to bleach the pulp, but a chlorine compound is used during the bleaching process. Specifically, chlorine dioxide is used. This produces fewer dioxins compared to older bleaching technologies like elemental chlorine gas.
It terms of the planet, they are more environmentally friendly, when compared to traditional chlorine-based bleaches, but do pose some concerns due to the use of chlorine compounds.
What is TCF?
TCF stands for "totally chlorine free" and means that your diapers are processed without any chlorine at all. That’s 0% chlorine and 0% chlorine derivatives. It is a much safer process for health and for the planet because it uses oxygen, peroxide, or ozone-based bleaching systems and these don’t generate dioxins. The production process is gentler on natural resources too.
Pura is proudly TCF
We are proud that Pura diapers are TCF! They are also made without other nasty chemicals like alcohol, fragrances, phthalates, parabens – putting your baby and your planet first.
