REDYPER™ San Francisco
REDYPER™ San Francisco is a company with a mission I love and any time a company can help humans and the environment live in balance I will be interested and probably recommend them. In fact, I have diaper samples from REDYPER™ SF that I give to my clients to try so they can see how great they work! Read on to see why I think REDYPER™ SF is worth recommending!
REDYPER™ SF Impact
- Every week in the Bay Area, REDYPER™ SF collects and composts over 14 tons of dirty diapers, which are converted into nutrient-rich topsoil in as little as 14 weeks.
- REDYPER™ SF turns dirty diapers into dirt that’s then used for landscaping, reforestation, and roadside projects.
- The average baby will go through 5,000-7,000 diapers from age 0-3.
- It takes 500+ years for your diapers to break down in a landfill – whether they are petroleum-based (mostly plastic) or plant-based. Organic material does not decompose in landfills due to lack of oxygen, heat, and moisture.
- In volume, disposable diapers are the 3rd largest contributor to US landfills.
- An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the US, resulting in a possible 3.4 million tons of used diapers adding to landfills each year.
About REDYPER™ San Francisco
REDYPER™ San Francisco (formerly EarthBaby) is a compostable diaper service started in 2008 by two dads who wanted a better option for diapering — something convenient, sustainable, environmentally sound, and ultimately creating a solution for the landfill problem. Even though there were plant-based diapers available at the time, the founders discovered that there were no services that existed to actually compost them. So, they found a commercial composting facility in the South Bay with the right setup to handle diapers and wipes. They then began offering Bay Area families the convenient and environmentally-friendly option of plant-based disposable diapers with a composting service.
In 2020, they merged with their supplier, DYPER™, to bring compostable collection service to families across the country. In partnership with DYPER™, they have now diverted over 13 million pounds of diapers from landfills.
REDYPER™ SF offers two different brands, DYPER and Nurture, so that you can decide which one fits your baby best. Both brands’ diapers are plant-based and compostable with the REDYPER™ service. (Please note that you cannot compost your baby’s diapers in a home compost bin or city compost bin.) Those components that are not compostable are sifted out of the soil during the composting process. (Learn more about the composting process below.)
The diapers are hypoallergenic, contain no fragrances, dyes, lotions, or phthalates and are FSC certified to protect our forest. They are also competitive with major name brands in terms of absorbency and are some of the softest diapers on the market.
There is no separation or scraping of poop needed. Simply collect the dirty diapers and dirty wipes into a compostable bag (available for purchase on their website) and REDYPER™ SF will come to your house once a week to pick them up, bring you new plant-based diapers and wipes, and take your dirties to get processed into dirt in 14 weeks.
The REDYPER™ SF warehouse is located in Santa Clara, CA. This is where they house their diaper inventory, delivery vans, and compost bin before hauling it to their industrial compost facility every 3 days.
How does the service work?
REDYPER™ SF customers receive delivery and pickup service every week. You can manually order your diapers, wipes, and other responsible diapering products and family essentials on dypersf.com or place a recurring order. As a customer, you pay a flat monthly service fee, regardless of how many products you order. Store dirty diapers and wipes in a diaper pail of your choice (Simple Human trash cans work great and can be repurposed!) inside a compostable bag and then set your bag(s) of dirties out on the front porch the night before collection day. (The drivers come early so you don’t have to leave dirty diapers out by your front door for long. They recommend storing them in a metal trash bin with a lid that allows airflow like the Knodd bin from Ikea.
How your diapers are turned into dirt
Every week, Bay Area REDYPER™ SF parents leave their soiled diapers and wipes on their front porch.
The friendly REDYPER™ SF driver picks up the soiled diapers and delivers any new diapers or diapering products the customer has ordered through dypersf.com.
Dirty diapers and wipes are transported to a sorting facility where any non-compostable items are removed.
The diapers and wipes are shredded and mixed with other organic material, and laid out in piles inside Agriculture Bags. This is where the magic happens! Pipes inside the “Ag Bags” pump air into the compostable material to fully aerate it, increasing oxygen flow into the soil. This increases the speed of the decomposition process which can take years in nature. In an industrial facility the process is shortened down to 14-16 weeks.
These compost piles reach 150* F which is responsible for destroying all harmful pathogens that thrive in human waste. The sun is the primary energy source. After 14 weeks the compost is removed from the Ag Bags to be mixed.
Compost is then put into curing piles to stabilize and dry out. It is no longer producing heat (decomposition is ending) and the moisture in the compost evaporates. Once the soil is ready, it is sifted through to remove any pieces that have not fully broken down. These pieces will either be removed or re-enter the next composting pile. Now the dirt is ready to be used for reforestation, landscaping, roadside projects, or reused for this same process again. And your diapers have successfully been diverted from landfill!
Remember, no matter what type of diaper you use, if you toss it into the trash, it will take 500+ years to break down. And our little ones, on average, will go through a total of 5-7,000 diapers! If you want to to keep your little one’s diapers out of landfills, REDYPER™ SF is offering 4 weeks of complimentary delivery, pickup, and composting services and 50% off a New Baby Starter Pack* to new families. Simply enter the code THRIVE when you sign up.
*Starter Pack includes everything you need for your first week of service: 2 packs of diapers, 2 packs of wipes, and 1 box of compostable collection bags. This offer is not to be combined with other offers. New customers only. Must be within the designated REDYPER™ SF delivery zone to redeem.
And don’t worry! There’s no minimum contract necessary and you can cancel at any time. I hope you’ll give them a try and let me know what you think!
If you’re interested in learning more about me and how I can support you, I offer FREE 30-minute discovery calls to connect and answer any questions you have about my services.
Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more information on postpartum care, motherhood, resources and more!
And lastly, don’t forget to join my mailing list. Sign up for postpartum care info, news and special offers HERE.
Kristin D’Ambrosio, MA, CPD
wife, mother, and CAPPA certified postpartum doula
Kristin D’Ambrosio, MA, CPD is a wife, mother, and CAPPA certified postpartum doula in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kristin holds a Master of Arts degree in Education, Concentration in Counseling and Student Personnel from San José State University. Kristin is also a board member and involved parent at a Bay Area non-profit co-op preschool, and is a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator. Her intuitive, caring nature and a calling to serve new and growing families is what has brought her into birth work. Her approach is trauma aware and non-judgemental.