10 reasons to support the «Lose the diapers!» project

Zero Waste Lviv team has launched a project at the Big Idea crowdfunding platform (Spilnokosht) to raise money for the translation and publication of the book «Lose the Diapers» by Maria Kachmar (a teacher, mother of two girls, Ukrainian-Canadian). This book has the potential to make a big impact on Ukrainian families and our environment! Here are 10 reasons why you should support it by making a donation or sharing information about the campaign.

 

1. Early independence for children. The book «Lose the diapers!» will help many families to easily start potty training before the child turns one. In this approach, children gain independence earlier and are less dependent on their parents or caregivers. 
2. Less waste produced, less pressure on the environment. Used disposable diapers are virtually non-recyclable, as their recycling is very expensive and time consuming. They are thrown away and mostly end up in landfills. In the first few months, a baby goes through 8 to 12 diapers a day. At the age of two or three, a child needs up to 2-3 diapers a day. This totals to 3 to 5 thousand diapers per child. The approximate average weight of one diaper after use is 200 grams, which means 0.4-2 kg of waste per day in a family with one small child, and up to 2 tons of disposable diapers in landfills in 2-2.5 years.
3. Promoting a simpler – hybrid – approach to potty training. Maria Kachmar’s method allows the use of disposable diapers. The book is not about refusing disposable diapers altogether, as there are certain times when they are indespensible. The book offers many ideas for incorporating potty training into your schedule. This will help reduce the amount of time in the baby’s life when they need diapers. As a result, each family that comes across this book will likely produce less waste.
4. Potty training with less stress. Usually parents start potty training when the child is 2 years old or older (before kindergarten). But it is at this time, the so-called “terrible twos”, or the”crisis of three”, many children become unwilling to cooperate or try new things. This is not an optimal time for getting used to the potty.
5. Saving money. Approximately 16 000 UAH per year. That’s how much Lyubov Bokalo, our project coordinator, has saved according to her calculations. She successfully tried out the method described in the book with her daughter Sofia. 
6. One more book in Ukrainian. For us, and we hope for you too, it is very important that research based information is available in Ukrainian. This will increase the amount of quality Ukrainian content and open access to information for more Ukrainians.
7. Access to modern scientific research for Ukrainian pediatricians. The book «Lose the diapers!» is based on scientific research. Ukrainian edition will also include the scientific data published after the book came out in English. After the successful campaign, books will be sent to maternity wards and specialized hospitals.
8. Reliable and convenient information for parents and caregivers. «Lose the diapers!» will be available not only in paperback, but also in audio and electronic formats. Everyone can chose what suits them best and stop digging the Internet for the information.
9. Minimizing or preventing potential side effects of using diapers. Disposable products can often cause allergic reactions, diaper rash and other unpleasant skin irritations in the genital area. This approach to potty training helps baby’s skin spend less time in contact with disposable diapers.
10. Supporting the project = supporting Zero Waste Lviv. Together we can make our campaign successful! For our team the project does not end as soon as the book is published. We’ll keep promoting relevant scientific data and working on reducing the waste in our daily lives.

Support the project «Lose the diapers!» here!