Why bamboo?

Bamboo is the only available crop on earth which can keep up with consumer demand. It reaches full maturity within 2 years and sustainable harvesting actually improves forest regeneration.

We use Moso bamboo which grows very fast in the mountains. The yield is naturally very high without the use of fertilisers or pesticides or any irrigation. 12-15 feet growth in just 3 weeks has been recorded in the spring season. This provides us with a sustainable, low impact crop as a brilliant alternative to polyesters, cotton, plastics, etc. 

Bamboo is also 3x more effective as a carbon sink than any other tree or grass. This makes it the ideal crop for helping to lower CO2 and slowing climate change.

In addition bamboo is naturally antibacterial and excellent at regulating temperatures against your baby's skin.

Why not use cotton like some other leading brands?

Cotton is a very thirsty, intensively farmed crop.

Cotton is mostly grown in monoculture and is a very pesticide-intensive crop. Although it is only grown on 2.5% of the world’s agricultural land, it consumes 16% of all the insecticides used worldwide.These pesticides are washed out of soils, and pollute rivers and groundwater. 

If cotton is cultivated intensively, it requires large amounts of water for irrigation. This causes soil salinisation, particularly in dry areas and hence a degradation of soil fertility. The diversion of entire rivers into huge irrigation channels to feed the cotton fields in Central Asia has led to the gradual drying-up of the Aral Lake, one of the largest inland waters in the world.

Cotton production also contributes to climate change.Industrial fertilisers are produced using considerable quantities of finite energy sources (1.5% of the world’s annual energy consumption), releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the excessive application of nitrates to agricultural land leads to their being transformed into nitrous oxide which in turn escalates global warming.

How can I be sure your bamboo is harvested sustainably?

We use MOSO bamboo which is harvested only after 3-5 years growth.

One bamboo plant will consist of several poles from which new shoots grow every year. Good practice allows for 20-25% of the poles to be harvested in a bamboo forest each year without any detriment to the density of the forest. Unlike trees, harvesting the bamboo poles in this way does not kill the plant but rather allows for new growth without deforestation.

Mama Bamboo is certified by FSC® (Forestry Stewardship Council ®) to manufacture and sell nappies and nappy pants. You can find out more at https://www.fsc-uk.org/en-uk/about-fsc/what-is-fsc.

The FSC® is the leading authority  for responsible wood sourcing. Since 2008 bamboo, though a grass rather than a wood, has been included in the scheme and is closely controlled.

Mama Bamboo’s certification number is NC-COC-026801-S and License number is C134890.

How is your bamboo processed and is it sustainably certified? 

Our bamboo raw material is sourced from well-managed sustainably certified farms. A regular programme of harvesting a third of the plantation every 3 years is maintained to ensure the forest continues its natural growth cycle. 

The process to convert the raw material into the fine, soft material then goes through 5 key stages:

 

• First the bamboo poles are shredded into small chips. Broken poles and cut offs are shredded too. Nothing is wasted. 
• Secondly the chips are soaked in a mix of softening agents, plant enzymes and hot water to separate the lignin and pectin. This creates a pulp-soup
• The pulp is then heated, washed and dried to create a soft fluffy material
• The water run off is treated and cleaned before returning to the river. Our manufacturing plants have regular checks to ensure the water is properly filtered and meets environmental standards. 
• And finally, the pulp is pushed, under high pressure, through rollers to create sheets of the softest bamboo viscose. 

We have carefully chosen our supply chain partners based on their policies and environmental practices. They care about the environment every step of the way, from raw input materials to waste output materials; finding innovative ways to re-use cut offs, recycle and clean water, and reduce energy requirements. Our auditing team make quarterly visits to our factories to ensure that we are only working with the most responsible and forward-thinking people that share our values and ethics. 

How do you carbon offset your transportation?

Firstly, we chose to transport all our goods as finished products by large container sea freight as this is the least carbon producing option.

Secondly, we have partnered with Uganda Bamboo Village Programme to plant bamboo forests in deforested areas. Each year we calculate our carbon footprint and replant enough bamboo to soak up the equivalent carbon within 2 years. 

Bamboo provides a 3x more effective carbon sink than any other tree or grass.

You can read more about this in our blog: https://www.mamabamboo.com/blogs/news/were-so-proud-to-be-a-friend-of-the-bamboo-village-and-be-carbon-neutral

Do you test on animals at all?

Absolutely not!

We are officially registered with the Vegan Society and do not test any of our ingredients or products on animals. 

Do you donate to any charitable organisations?

We are committed to donating 20% of our net profits to charity every year. 

We donate to NSPCC and the Ugandan Bamboo Village every year. We also offer to match any nappy and wipe donation our customers make to In Kind Direct.

 

Nappies, Pants and Wipes

How many nappies or pants are there in a pack?

Size	Per Pack	Per Carton (4 packs)
Size 0	30 nappies	120 nappies
Size 1	35 nappies	140 nappies
Size 2	30 nappies	120 nappies
Size 3	28 nappies	112 nappies
Size 4	26 nappies	104 nappies
Size 5	24 nappies	96 nappies
Size 4 Pants	22 Pants	88 pants
Size 5 Pants	20 Pants	80 pants
Size 6 Pants	18 Pants	72 pants
Size 7 Pants	18 Pants	72 pants

 

What size and how many nappies am I likely to need?

The size of nappy or nappy pants you need is dependent on the weight of your baby and the number of nappies or pants you might need is dependent on their developmental age. The younger your baby is, the more frequently they will need a fresh nappy and the heavier they are the larger the nappy required.

Below is table detailing the approximate weight range of each nappy size as well as an indication of the number of daily nappy changes.  We have also included a general age guide. Please be aware that this is only guidance as every baby is different.

Age (approx)	Weight	Nappy Size	Daily changes
0-3 months	2-4 kgs 4-9 lbs	Size 1	10 changes
3-6 months	3-8 kgs 6-18 lbs	Size 2	8-9 changes
6-12 months	6-11 kgs 13-25 lbs	Size 3	8 changes
12-18 months	9-14 kgs 19-31 lbs	Size 4 nappies or pants	6-8 changes
18-30 months	12-20 kgs 26-44 lbs	Size 5 nappies or pants	5-6 changes
30-48 months	+17 kgs +37 lbs	Size 6 pants	2-6 changes*

 *NOTE: Between 24 - 48 months the number of nappy changes will be dependent on how far potty training has developed.

On average 4 packs of our Essentials range will last approximately 2 weeks.

Do you have wetness indicators?

Yes. All our nappies have a wetness indicator which turns yellow-blue as standard.

Are they as good as regular nappies?

We feel that they are better!

We are very proud to be the only eco-nappy ever to have won the Best Performance Nappy Gold award from Mother&Baby. Mama Bamboo nappies were judged to be more absorbent, softer, and better at controlling nappy rash than any other brand. 

We have won several awards for our nappies from Made for Mums, Bizziebaby, Lux Life, and Parent & Baby.

Feedback from parents has been excellent - high absorption, good fit, and noticeably less nappy rash.

How can bamboo help reduce nappy rash?

Our nappies are made from the softest bamboo viscose, chlorine-free wood pulp & plant-based liners.  These are all breathable. There is no heat trapping, bacteria encouraging plastic layer wrapped around your baby's bottom.

Our nappies are free from chlorine, alcohol, latex and PVC. 

The bamboo viscose layers which lie against your baby's skin are naturally antibacterial, temperature regulating and breathable.

This all helps control or eradicate nappy rash.

Are the materials used to make your nappies biodegradable? 

Our nappies are made from 100% biodegradable bamboo viscose layers, 100% biodegradable chlorine free FSC approved pulp and 100% compostable plant-based liners.

However, the side tabs, elasticated leg ruching and elasticated back panel are not biodegradable.

We use about 30% as much SAP as regular brands and will continue to research any alternatives.

Our nappies can biodegrade* over 60% in less than 3 months and can achieve 80% within 2 years in an industrial composting facility or hot compost.

*As tested by SGS International. Please note though, this cannot be achieved in a cold home compost due to the bacteria in human waste. 

What is the nappy packaging made of?

Our nappy packaging is made from 100% plant-based material derived from renewable resources. It can be composted in an industrial compost facility. Our packaging meets EN13432, ASTM D6400. GreenPla and AS 4736 standards. 

We are proud to be the only nappy brand using 100% compostable plant-based films. 

How do I dispose of the nappies?

Our nappies can be composted at home but only if you have a hot compost system rather than standard cold system. The heat is needed to safely destroy the bacteria and pathogens associated with human waste.

The non-biodegradable elements will not compost and will need to be removed before using your lovely rich compost in the garden. These elements should consist of the elastic tabs and ruching sections. These are usually easier to remove before you begin the composting process. You can simply tear these away before popping the bulk of the nappy into the compost bin  

At the moment, if you cannot home hot compost, our nappies need to be put into general waste.  Although our nappies can be composted no UK council is currently offering this.  Wales do offer a nappy recycling service but this is not offered in the rest of the UK.

This is something we are working on constantly at Mama Bamboo HQ and we are currently working with UCL (University College London) on a research grant to investigate and promote the widespread of council managed waste management for bio-plastics and compostable AHP (Absorbent Hygiene Products).

Numerous research projects and tests for PLA composting at mass scale are currently underway in Germany, Belgium, and the USA. The UK is a little behind the curve. The studies have shown that the composting of bioplastics will be feasible in the UK as soon as the commercial volumes and sales increased sufficiently enough to cover the investments required.

By choosing Mama Bamboo products and other bio-plastics when you are shopping you are helping us to send a clear message to the government. We, as consumers and manufacturers, are willing to change and avoid fossil fuel plastics but we need their support to realise the full benefits of these choices.

Will they biodegrade in landfill?

The compostable elements of our nappies will biodegrade in the current UK landfills but at a slower rate than within best practice situations. UK landfills are not managed to promote biodegradability at the moment. They are densely packed and lack the natural microbes, oxygen and light.

We are working with local environmental groups to campaign for industrial composting services within council landfills and where composting is not viable, we are encouraging councils to invest in recycling services for nappies.

Please do join our campaign #thenappyrevolution and sign our petition

https://www.change.org/p/defra-uk-encourage-councils-to-invest-in-industrial-composting-facilities-and-recycling-services-for-nappies

Can nappies really be composted by councils?

Whilst Canada, Germany, and New Zealand do have kerbside collections and industrial composting set up for nappies and wet wipes and Wales has a recycling service, the rest of the UK is sadly lagging behind. We are currently working with UCL (University College London) on a research grant to investigate and promote the widespread of council managed waste management for bio-plastics and compostable AHP (Absorbent Hygiene Products).

Numerous research projects and tests for PLA composting at mass scale are currently underway in Germany, Belgium, and the USA. The UK is a little behind the curve. The studies have shown that the composting of bioplastics will be feasible in the UK as soon as the commercial volumes and sales increased sufficiently enough to cover the investments required.

By choosing Mama Bamboo products and other bio-plastics when you are shopping you are helping us to send a clear message to the government. We, as consumers and manufacturers, are willing to change and avoid plastics but we need their support to realise the full benefits of these choices.

Is nappy composting viable?

Companies such as Soiled Diaper in Canada, Earth Baby in US and Envirocomp in New Zealand and community projects such as Dycle in Germany are composting nappies by the millions. 

The city of Toronto has been composting eco-nappies for over 10 years. They have diverted over 2 billion used nappies away from landfill. 

Toronto collects diapers and other organic items and sends them to a processing facility. The resultant compost gets distributed to farmland and parks. That’s right: Canada’s babies and toddlers, for all their messes, are helping Canadian crops to grow.

The program, called “Green Bin,” also accepts animal waste, kitty litter and sanitary products.

The Toronto program provides assurances that the process is “completely sanitary and safe”:

"Through decades of experiment and experience, sanitary engineering practice has developed standards for the composting process that ensure elimination of disease-causing organisms (pathogens). The high temperatures occurring naturally during the composting process destroy pathogens. Maintaining such high temperatures for a minimum time period ensures the final finished compost is pathogen-free."

We campaign tirelessly for our own government to make this service available in the UK. 

What are the ingredients in your wipes?

Our wipes are made from 100% bamboo cellulose and contain a 99.4% purified water cleansing formula enhanced with soothing aloe vera and moisturizing coconut extract.

These are kinder to baby's skin and suitable for use on newborn and sensitive skins.

The cleansing formula consists of:-

• Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract (Aloe Vera)
• Citric Acid – Lemon juice - pH balancer
• Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate - a coconut oil derived moisturiser recommended for sensitive skin
• Propylene Glycol – moisturising ingredient
• Tetrasodium EDTA – a foaming agent to reduce friction on delicate skin
• Potassium Sorbate - prolongs shelf life by stopping the growth of mold, yeast, and fungi. 
• Sodium Benzoate - used as a preservative in medicines and cosmetics. 

All ingredients have been approved for use in paediatric cosmetic products.

How biodegradable are your wipes?

We're very proud to say that our wipes are 100% compostable and will be completely degraded within 3 months.

What is the wipes packaging made of?

Our wipes are wrapped in 30% recycled PET  (recycled plastic bottles) and can be recycled again and again.  RPET is one of the most widely kerbside recycled plastics.

How do I dispose of the wipes?

Our wipes can be put into your food-waste bin (if permitted by your local council) or they can be composted at home.

If neither of these is possible, they can be disposed of in general waste.

Will your wipes biodegrade in landfill?

Our wipes will biodegrade in the current UK landfills but at a slower rate than within best practice situations. UK landfills are not managed to promote biodegradability at the moment. They are densely packed and lack the natural microbes, oxygen and light.

We are working with local environmental groups to campaign for industrial composting services within council landfills.   

Please do join our campaign #thenappyrevolution and sign our petition

https://www.change.org/p/defra-uk-encourage-councils-to-invest-in-industrial-composting-facilities-and-recycling-services-for-nappies

 

Delivery & Returns

What is the standard delivery time?

Our standard delivery is 3-5 workings days.  Our warehouse is closed on bank holidays so please be aware there may be an additional day’s delay at these times of year.

How can I track my order?

Once your order has been dispatched you will receive a Shipping Confirmation email with a tracking number.  This number can be used on the courier website to track the order.

The courier will also text you (if you have provided a phone number) ahead of your delivery slot.  

What is the cost of delivery?

Delivery is included for all orders over £30 and charged at £3.95 for all orders under £30 within the UK, excluding Isle of Mann, Isle of Wight, Northern Island, Scottish Highlands and the Channel Islands.  Accurate shipping costs for these areas will be calculated at check out.

If goods are returned to us after the standard delivery/redelivery/hold at post office procedure we will refund goods minus the penalty fees as applied by the courier. 

Evri charge a £5.95 failed delivery penalty fee

DPD charge a £16 failed delivery penalty fee

Do I pay for subscription deliveries?

Delivery is charged at £3.95 for all orders under £30 within the UK, excluding Isle of Mann, Isle of Wight, Northern Island, Scottish Highlands and the Channel Islands.  Accurate shipping costs for these areas will be calculated at check out.

If goods are returned to us after the standard delivery/redelivery/hold at post office procedure we will refund goods minus penalty fees as applied by the courier. 

Evri charge a £5.95 failed delivery penalty fee 

DPD charge a £16 failed delivery penalty fee 

Do you ship internationally?

Due to the complications of brexit customs paperwork and VAT we are sorry to say we are no longer shipping abroad as standard practise. If you do wish to purchase our products and have them shipped to you outside the UK, please contact us at admin@mamabamboo.com to discuss your requirements. 

What is your returns policy?

If you find you have over ordered anything in our Nappy or Nappy Pant Range and your little one has grown more rapidly than expected, you may return any unopened, undamaged packs for a refund or credit note within 21 days. You will need to pay the return shipping cost. We can offer a pre-paid shipping label with Evri for £7.95.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns of opened packs due to hygiene reasons.   

In order to ensure your return is correctly processed, please go to our Returns Page to complete the online returns process.

How do I contact you?

Please contact us at admin@mamabamboo.com.

My parcel hasn't been delivered

Unfortunately issues with the delivery service, parcels being delivered to the wrong address or going missing can happen occasionally, especially during peak times like Black Friday or Christmas.

First Steps:

Check the tracking information on the courier website - it often can explain where your parcel is:

Track Evri parcel

 

Track Yodel parcel

 

Track DPD parcel

 

If there is an image provided by the courier on your tracking info, you may recognise the location. It may be a neighbours house.

Check the Map location provided by the courier, if it's close they may have delivered to a neighbour or mis-read the street name.

Generally you'll be able to locate the parcel quickly by checking this information.

Second step:

If this does not help to locate your parcel, email us at admin@mamabamboo.com

Please email us before 7 days has past since the estimated delivery date – beyond 7 days we cannot raise a case or request a refund from the courier.

If we can't resolve the situation using the image or map links, we'll launch an investigation with the courier which can take up to 5 working days.

Never Miss a Delivery Again

Download the courier apps and you can track your parcels, nominate a safe location and manage your delivery options.

DPD app 

Evri app

Yodel app

 

Subscribe and Save

How does a subscription work?

Our subscription is a hassle-free way to have nappies and wipes delivered directly to your door with the added bonus of benefitting from a discount and free shipping on every order over £30. 

We have designed our subscription to be as flexible as possible so you can change size of nappy, swap or add products, change the frequency of your orders, delay or bring forward an order or cancel the subscription whenever you need to. 

Please be aware that your first order is placed when the subscription is set up and will be sent out to you within the following 24 – 48 hrs.  For the orders following you will receive an email 2-3 days before your subscription is ordered, to allow you to login and change the order as needed. 

Please ensure that your subscription is amended by 12am on the date of the order so the changes have time to come into effect.

How do I change my subscription?

If you need to change any part of your subscription: nappy size, frequency of your orders, add a product or swap products this can be done from the Manage my Subscription page within your Mama Bamboo account. 

We ask that any changes be made before midnight the day your order is due so that it can processed in time. 

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription. 

This will take you through to the ‘Subscriptions’ page which shows your current subscription(s), when your next order is due to be processed and where is it being sent to. All aspects of your subscription can be managed from this page. 

How do I skip a delivery?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription. 

On the next page click on ’SKIP’. 

 A box will pop up, if you want to continue to skip the order click ‘YES, SKIP THIS ORDER’. 

This order has now been skipped.  It can be un-skipped if required. 

How do I get my order delivered asap?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click on ’SEND NOW’.

 A box will pop up, click on ‘SEND THIS ORDER NOW’.

An order will be processed immediately, and an order confirmation email will be sent out. Your order will be packed and dispatched within 24 hrs Monday – Friday.  Orders processed on a Saturday or Sunday will be sent out on a Monday.

Please note your subscription will automatically update to show your next order date.

How do I change the date of my order?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click on ’RESCHEDULE’.

A box will pop up, asking when you would like you next order.  The options available are to delay for 1 or 2 weeks of select a specific date.  Once an option has been selected click ‘SAVE CHANGES’.

How do I change the frequency of my orders?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click on your subscription product e.g. Sustainable Bamboo Nappy Pants

On the next page scroll down to the details of your subscription.  Select the drop-down box saying ‘Delivery every 2/4/6/8 weeks’ and select an alternative option.  Then click ‘SAVE CHANGES’.

How do I change nappy size?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click on your subscription product e.g. Sustainable Bamboo Nappy Pants

On the next page scroll down to the details of your subscription.  Select the SIZE drop-down box and select an alternative option.  The click ‘SAVE CHANGES’.

 

               

How do I change how many nappies or wipes I receive?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click on your subscription product e.g. Sustainable Bamboo Nappy Pants

On the next page scroll down to the details of your subscription.  Select the PACKS drop-down box and select an alternative option.  The click ‘SAVE CHANGES’.

  

How do I swap products?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click on your subscription product e.g. Sustainable Bamboo Nappy Pants

On the next page scroll down to the bottom of the page.  Click on ‘Swap this for a different product’.

On the next page select which product you would like to change to.

Then choose the size of product from the SIZE drop-down box; the number of pack from the PACKS drop-down box and frequency of the deliveries to be Delivery every 2/4/6/8 weeks.  Then click on ‘SWAP PRODUCT’.

How do I add a product?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click, scroll down to the ‘You may also like’ section.

On the next page choose the size of product from the SIZE drop-down box if applicable; the number of packs from the PACKS drop-down box.  The product can be added as a one-time only purchase or added as an additional subscription; if it is being added as a subscription a delivery option must be selected.  Then click on ‘ADD TO ORDER’.

 

How do I cancel my subscription?

Sob! Don't go!

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click, scroll down to the bottom of the page.  Click ‘Cancel subscription’.

 On the next page you can choose to pause your subscription or cancel.  To cancel click ‘Cancel subscription’.

Select a reason for why you are cancelling and click ‘Cancel subscription’.

 

How do I cancel/remove a one-time product?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click on your subscription product e.g Sustainable Bamboo Nappy Pants.

On the next page scroll down to the bottom of the page and click ‘Remove product’.

How do I re-start my subscription?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click you will be able to see your inactive subscriptions.  Click ‘Re-Activate’ underneath the subscription you wish to restart.

 

How do I apply a discount code to my subscription?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click on ‘Add discount’ under your subscription product.

A box will open, key in the discount code and click ‘APPLY DISCOUNT CODE’.

How do I update my shipping address?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click under Deliver to click on ‘Edit address’

 A box will open, key in the new address into the relevant fields and then click ‘SAVE CHANGES’.

How do I update my payment method?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click under Order total click on ‘Edit payment method’.

EITHER click ‘SEND EDIT PAYENT LINK’ in the pop-up box which will automatically send n email to allow you to update your payment details. OR complete the payment details in the pop-up box and  click ‘ADD PAYMENT METHOD’.

 

 

 

 

How do I update my billing address and contact details?

Log into your Account and select Manage my Subscription.

On the next page click scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on ‘Address & payment details’.

On the next page your contact details can be edited by clicking on ‘EDIT YOUR DETAILS’.

To edit your billing address click on ‘Manage addresses’. On the next page click ‘EDIT’ to update the billing address or click ‘ADD A NEW ADDRESS’ to add address.