Elements Naturals 100% Natural & Renewable Baby Wipes - 80 ct

I have been using Elements Naturals for a year almost, and I regret the money that I have spent trying to give this up and coming B Corp business the benefit of the doubt. Each package I get has very scratchy wipes, when using it to remove my eye makeup I ended up with microscopic scratches on my eyelids, it was very irritating. When I try to remove wipes from the packaging, multiple wipes dispense at a time, instead of one single wipe per pull. Also the packaging isn't designed very well, the center part of the sealing flap breaks from the rest of the sealing flap destroying the air tight seal on the packaging and leaving me with half a package of DRY wipes. Not to mention the packaging is trash! Why create a biodegradable product and put it in a non-bidegradeable/ recyclable packaging? Now we come to the cherry on the sunday, the wipes take FOREVER to biodegrade. I have a compose bin from my local trash company in my backyard that I have been using for the past 5 years. Before putting them in my compost bin, I cut the wipes into strips, they have not biodegraded in my compost bin for the past year. Banana peels decompose faster than that! All in all I would have to say at $5.99 per 80 count package I would recommend going with a better, less expensive and truly biodegradable wipe such as Walgreens Renew Naturals Baby Wipe 60 count for $2.99 or two packs for $5.00. These wipes display deterioration within a month or two. Don't waste your money on a less superior wipe like Elements Naturals. 

 I found elements naturals baby wipes while searching for eco friendly wipes on the internet. I bought several packs from diapers.com.

 I think I have tried every "so-called" eco friendly baby wipe on the market. These are my favorite by far. What makes them good is the fact that they are somewhat larger than other wipes, and they are pretty thick. What I really like is the fact that they don't have any chemicals in them, and they are manufactured from "annually renewable" plant resources. What this means is that the plant material they are made from grows new every year. That is about as sustainable as it gets. by contrast some other brands are made from organic cotton (a huge waste of water resources), tree pulp (definitely NOT annually renewable). and of course, most are made from oil byproducts. Yuck!

My only gripe is that they are somewhat difficult to get out of the package sometimes, but so are all the other brands that come in a refill pack. (which uses way less plastic than a tub by the way).

I would totally recommend these. My husband even uses them in his shop and when he goes on backpacking trips!

The biggest downside of Elements Naturals baby wipes is probably price. These wipes are about $6 a pack (80 count), while others cost much less. Even if you go bulk, these will cost you more. Also, you can't compost them at home. You'll have to locate an industrial compost site; if there's not one near you, the upside is that even in the trash these won't leach harmful chemicals into the soil.

That said, not all the wipes on the market biodegrade so that's in their favor. Some other eco-perks of these wipes...

• Made with Ingeo fibers, the world's first man-made fiber made from 100% annually renewable resources. Wipes are free of harsh synthetic chemicals and preservatives.
  
• Wipe solution contains only plant-based ingredients derived from organic and natural resources.
• Company does not test on animals.
  
• 1% percent of the company’s proceeds are donated to “1% For The Planet.”
• Packaging uses 60% less plastic than the usual tub - but is not recyclable, still it's good they're manufactured better.
  
• Fragrance Free
• Chlorine Free

Other perks...

These wipes are big - bigger than most and super strong. They don't rip or shred like other wipes I've used, and are large enough to go a long way even when faced with a really messy baby bum. The packaging worked well - for example, the soft pack has a refastening area, to keep wipes moist, and it worked well the whole time.

One downside is that they're not super soft, but that's sort of a matter of choice. I'd use them on my own baby's skin and feel fine about it. Some people think wipes should be extra soft, but I don't think it's a necessity. These will work fine for most babies.

I'd recommend these based on their eco-perks, although I wish the packaging was recyclable and I think they're a little costly. BUT you have to weigh the costs with what you want near your baby's skin. You can get cheaper wipes, but they'll most likely contain chemicals AND they won't biodegrade. You need to consider how all those wipes in the landfill affect your child's life too.

What I'd do is use reusable washcloths at home and take these when I was out on the go. That's actually the most eco-friendly solution when it comes to wipes, other than using cloth all the time, which I tried but it was a huge hassle - dragging around baggies for them and such.