Did You Know

Infants and Children

• In Western Europe today, over 90% of babies benefit from disposable diapers.
• The first known reference to a “disposable diaper” was made in 1942; it was a 2-piece product consisting of a disposable pad of cellulose wadding with a gauze or knitted mesh cover and a reusable panty.
• The first European one-piece disposable, complete with fastening tapes, was introduced in 1967.

Parents

• In a survey carried out by the Louis Harris Research organisation in 1997, respondents with children identified disposable diapers as the second greatest improvement in contemporary life; the first being the automatic washing machine.
• In a 2007 survey women indicated they would rather give up air travel, a second car, a tumble direr and their microwave before giving up disposable diapers.
• Attempts by local governments to encourage parents to use cloth diapers have largely failed. In Belgium only 30 percent of the women invited to participate in a pilot study agreed to do so and only five percent of that total number said they would continue to use cloth diapers after the pilot study finished stating that leakage, user unfriendliness, the extra work involved and cost were the main reasons.

Women

• Before the development of disposable feminine care products women had little choice but to use rags and scraps of fabric to absorb menstrual fluids.
• Ancient tribes used materials such as papyrus leaves, grasses and moss to absorb bodily fluids.
• While the monthly menstrual period usually lasts between 4 – 7 days in total a woman will menstruate for an equivalent average of 6-7 years of her life.

Incontinence Sufferers

• Men suffering from medium to heavy incontinence show a preference for diaper designs over pads primarily because they perform better but also because they are less like menstrual pads and are not therefore associated with feminine hygiene products.
• While menstrual pads are not necessarily as effective as incontinence pads designed specifically for the condition, women will often opt to use them because they are less expensive and their purchase does not indicate an incontinence problem.
• Modern incontinence products can make the difference between sufferers being able to stay in their own home or needing to move to residential care.

Carers

• Long term care is often accompanied by medium to heavy incontinence; modern patient care today is unthinkable without well performing incontinence products.
• Product innovation brings real benefits, for example incontinence pants that can be used like normal underwear. Patients suffering from the early stages of conditions such as dementia are able to go to the toilet again on their own, saving time, laundry and staff costs while restoring dignity for the patient.

Society

• Inadequate access to menstruation protection materials has a negative impact on the participation of girls and women in education and training in the developing world.

Environment

• The environmental impact of using disposable diapers for one child over an average of 30 months has been scientifically measured, and compares to the impact of driving a car between 2,100 to 3,500 kilometres (1300 – 2200 miles). The average car drives 40,225 kilometres (25,000 miles) over the same period of time.
• On average, paper and board, garden waste and food waste each comprised between 18 and 20 percent of municipal solid waste compared with absorbent hygiene products comprising between 2 – 3 percent.

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