Accommodatingly

Diapers are expensive. Guilt-reducing chlorine-free diapers are even more expensive. Well, Seventh Generation, the most popular diaper for those of us who really feel like we ought to be using cloth but just can’t handle the extra work, has just made their diapers even pricier by hitting their packages with the shrink ray!

Nathan is in size 6 diapers. Let’s compare an order delivered in January with the order we just received: the first order I’ve received with the package count. The old packets held 26 diapers, the new packaging is 22 diapers per pack. And a carton (four packs of diapers) is now $1 more through Amazon’s Subscribe and Save (which at the beginning of the year offered a 20% discount and is now only 15% off). It all adds up to a much higher per-diaper cost. Here are the numbers:

Carton ordered in January: 104 diapers (4 packs with 26 diapers each) $41.99
Discount of 20% -$8.40
Shipping $12.10, but a shipping discount of $12.10 applied because you get free shipping with the Subscribe and Save program.
Total Cost: $33.59
per diaper cost: $0.32

Carton ordered in July: 88 diapers (4 packs with 20 diapers each) $42.99
Discount of 15% -$6.45
Shipping: $10.06, but a shipping discount of $10.06 applied because you get free shipping with the Subscribe and Save program.
Total Cost: $36.54
per diaper cost: $0.42

That’s about a 33% increase. As if this wasn’t enough, Amazon also seems to think that it’s okay to lie about how much you’re “saving.” If I look at my subscription history, it lists the “savings” for each order. The total savings for the July order is listed as “$16.51 + Free Shipping”, but as you can see from my breakdown above, the shipping discount is included in the $16.51. They’re clearly trying to make the amount saved appear more significant than it actually is.

And now to the ethics of the manufacturer: Seventh Generation addressed the packaging size change in their FAQ on their website.

There is no such thing as minor oral surgery.

My mouth hurts.

And for now, that is all.

I’ve tried to be a good environmentalist, replacing many of the bulbs, especially in the overhead fixtures, in our house with compact fluorescent bulbs. They save money and energy, and they last seemingly forever.
But I am admittedly bothered by the crappy light they give off: they’re dimmer than their incandescent counterparts, and the quality of the light doesn’t have the warmth of a traditional bulb.

Well, it turns out that they might be increasing my risk of migraine and skin cancer.  Add that to the mercury content of the bulbs, and I’m starting to think that we should all go back to candles. Or just work during daylight hours, which would make for a pretty short work day in these parts this time of year.