Nappies that (help) save the world still available in Budapest

Last winter Zizi És Én, an organic "nappy" diaper store in the XIII district, went bust. But Gábor Gyergyói and Mary Field, the husband-and-wife team that initiated the green ma-and-pa type in 2005, haven't given up. Instead, they went online.

"There is a gap in the market," says Gyergyói, a Hungarian native who was raised in Germany and met his British wife while living in the UK. Gyergyói and Field began selling reusable diapers here two years ago when they wanted to swaddle their now-toddling daughter, Ilona, in something better for her skin, but found no place to purchase them in Hungary.

They keep selling now for that reason: there are few places to purchase them in Budapest, Gyergyói says, and none in the countryside.

Most of their clients are environmentally friendly or skin-conscious ex-pats, friends made at local Pest playgrounds, and Hungarians in the countryside who seem to want to keep old traditions alive.

All in all, reusable users are few and far between. Most parents have been on disposable bandwagon since innovative American mom Marion Donovan made the first from a shower curtain in 1946, and patented her idea in 1951.

The debate on the value of using disposable vs. reusable diapers is on-going. Disposables have been proven to harm the environment (they take years, possibly centuries, to decompose). Not to mention that chemicals are released onto the baby's skin that can be toxic; Gyergyói pointed out that many children get rashes as a result of disposable diapers: "they sit on there, and it's moist and fungi often appears," he says. But they are often easier to toss into the trash, better for traveling, and require less laundry.

In Hollywood, many moms - celebrities and suburban types alike - have begun to use savvy, green diapers designed to keep baby's skin soft by absorbing moisture while helping save the earth; Gyergyói says he has yet to see this trend catch on in Hungary.

One soon-to-be set of local parents keen on the idea are American Michelle Rodolph and Italian Mauro Guarinieri, who arrived in Budapest roughly a year ago, and are expecting their first child this week. While the exact date of their baby's birth is out of their hands - it was due 10 days ago - they already know that they will be swaddling it in reusable diapers.

"[Michelle] did the research, and decided this makes sense," says Guarinieri. "A lot of people say it's better for the baby, and also you don't trash tons of diapers."

Not knowing about Zizi És Én, the couple loaded up on a stash of cloth diapers at the Budaörs branch of baby "big box" store Brendon. In doing their research, they also discovered that online webshop bababolt.com offers several brands of reusables, with home delivery as a possibility.

"I have given up on the education bit [of this business]," says Gyergyói. "I do try and explain but I haven't found the right words for 'ethical' shopping yet. My Hungarian friends are lost to the idea."

But he has hope. For those in Budapest willing to trade in a few more loads of wash - Gyergyói estimates only four to six more per week - in order to help save the earth and baby's derriere still can, one diaper at a time.

Brands available are Bambino Mio (UK, made in China), and Monapel (made in Hungary). Orders can be placed directly through Gyergyói and Field.

Gyergyói suggests having between 17 and 24 diapers and four covers. Since the cost for a package of four reusables is about Ft 3,000 (€12), plus Ft 1,600 per cover, the approximate cost for a year's worth is about Ft 25,000; the price of a deluxe date if any free time can be found amidst the laundry loads.

Purchasing disposable diapers in Hungary is on par with costs elsewhere. It is Ft 3,000 (€12) for a package of 60 Huggies at Tesco, while it is $40 for 160 Huggies at Target in the United States, the latter of which is cheaper by a negligible margin of Ft .05. In his/her first year, the average baby has approximately eight changes in any given 24-hour period, so the cost per month is about Ft 15,000 and Ft 190,000 per year; the cost of a comfy new couch.

Zizi Direkt also sells organic lotions and gels, and is developing a line of organic children's clothing.

But one thing they don't offer - at least yet - is a service for those who don't want to get their hands dirty with the actual job of laundering diapers. Instead, customers must make do with organic washing powder.

"If they had a service, that would be fantastic," says Michelle Rodolph, admitting that almost everyone she has told about her upcoming adventure in domestic environmentalism is skeptical she and Guarinieri will go the distance.

"I'm sure there's a bet in everyone's house that I've told it to," she says.

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