A Change diaper is made of fifteen components. Everything touching your baby is 100% cotton. Inside is the world's first and only biodegradable Super Absorbent. This page lists every component, what it is made from, and how much of the diaper it is by weight.
No federal law requires diaper brands to publish a materials list. We think you should be able to read ours the way you read a food label: every part, in order, with its share of the whole.
The short version
- Cotton: about a third of the diaper by weight. It is the top sheet against the skin, the leg cuffs, the front and back ears, and the outer cover. So the only thing touching your baby is 100% cotton.
- The absorbent core: about half of the diaper. Totally chlorine-free wood fluff pulp and the world's first and only biodegradable Super Absorbent. Neither is made from crude oil.
- PLA: about a tenth. PLA is a polymer made from plant starch, not crude oil. We use it for the thin layers that hold the core together and for the closure.
- A bioplastic barrier film: a few percent, between the core and the cotton outer cover. It keeps wetness in and never touches your baby.
- Elastics and adhesives: about 2%. They are on the list because everything is.
Every component, top to bottom
The table follows the diaper from the layer against the skin down to the outer cover, then the parts that fasten and hold it together. Weights are the share of a finished diaper by weight, from our own materials list, rounded to one decimal. Two rows are still being confirmed and are marked as such rather than estimated.
| Component | What it does | What it is made from | Share by weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top sheet | The layer against your baby's skin. Lets wetness pass through to the core. | 100% cotton, chlorine-free | 5.2% |
| Acquisition layer | Sits under the top sheet and spreads wetness across the core so it is absorbed faster. | PLA perforated film | 2.1% |
| Fluff pulp | The bulk of the core. Holds liquid and gives the diaper its softness. | Totally chlorine-free (TCF) cellulose fluff pulp | 25.2% |
| Super Absorbent | Tiny beads mixed through the pulp. They pull wetness in and swell into a gel when wet, which keeps it off the skin. | The world's first and only biodegradable Super Absorbent. Not made from fossil fuel. | 25.2% |
| Core wrap | A thin layer above and below the core that holds the pulp and beads in place. | PLA nonwoven | 3.8% |
| Leg cuffs | The soft barriers along each leg that stop leaks at the thigh. | 100% cotton, chlorine-free | 14.8% |
| Waistband | The band at the top that helps the diaper stay put. | PLA nonwoven | 1.8% |
| Elastics | The stretch inside the cuffs and waistband. | Spandex | 0.5% |
| Barrier film | Between the core and the outer cover. Keeps wetness inside the diaper. | MATER-BI bioplastic film | Being confirmed |
| Outer cover | The outside of the diaper, the layer you touch. | 100% cotton, chlorine-free | 14.6% |
| Wetness indicator | The stripe on the outside of the core that changes when the diaper is wet. Away from the skin. | pH-sensitive adhesive | Counted with adhesives |
| Front and back ears | The side panels the tabs fasten to. | 100% cotton | Being confirmed |
| Fastening tab and hook | The tab you pinch closed and the hook that grips the front panel. | PLA nonwoven tab, PLA film hook | 1.3% |
| Landing zone | The strip on the front panel the hook fastens to. | PLA nonwoven | 0.7% |
| Adhesives | Hold the layers together at sixteen points. | Hot-melt adhesive | 1.7% |
What touches your baby
Four components can touch skin during wear: the top sheet, the leg cuffs, the ears and the outer cover. All four are 100% cotton. The cotton is cleaned mechanically, not bleached. Read more on our cotton page.
The acquisition layer, core wrap, barrier film and waistband sit inside the diaper, under the cotton. The elastic inside each cuff is wrapped in cotton.
What does the absorbing
About half of the diaper by weight is the core. Wood fluff pulp does the holding; it is totally chlorine-free, which means no chlorine compounds were used to whiten it. Mixed through the pulp is the world's first and only biodegradable Super Absorbent: tiny beads that pull wetness in and swell into a gel when wet. It is not made from fossil fuel. It has been independently tested by a certified third-party lab to biodegrade, and we are putting the lab summary on this site.
Conventional disposables use a superabsorbent made from sodium polyacrylate, which is made from acrylic acid derived from petroleum. If you are reading another brand's list, that is the line to look for. Our guide to reading a diaper materials list explains what each line means.
Made with biodegradable components
A Change diaper is made with biodegradable components. The Super Absorbent has been independently tested by a certified third-party lab to biodegrade. The cotton is cotton. The PLA parts are made from plant starch. The elastics and the hot-melt adhesive are the parts we are working to replace next, and we will update this page when that changes.
What is not in it
No fragrance. No lotion. No chlorine bleach on the cotton or the pulp. No fossil-fuel plastic against the skin. No sodium polyacrylate.
How to read this page against other diapers
- Ask which layer a material claim describes. "Cotton" on the front of a box can mean a cotton top sheet over plastic. Ours is cotton on every layer that can touch your baby.
- Ask what the superabsorbent is made from. Ours is the world's first and only biodegradable Super Absorbent. Everything else on the market uses sodium polyacrylate.
- Ask for the share by weight. A list without weights cannot tell you whether cotton is a third of the diaper or a thin liner. Ours is here, component by component.
See sizes and buying options, check the fit guide, or read the FAQ for fit and subscription questions. If you need a detail that is not on this page, ask us and we will answer with the sheet in front of us.
Last updated September 22, 2026. Weights are from the Change materials list of September 15, 2026. Two component weights are being confirmed and will be added when they are.