Sunday April 17th: Ditch the Disposable Diapers Day
Cloth diapers are becoming more popular among moms in the U.S. This is a great thing for the planet, since cloth diapers are decidedly more gentle on the environment than disposables. What makes cloth preferable to disposables? Are there additional benefits to cloth diapering?
The manufacturing of disposable diapers uses a large volume of natural resources. In addition, there are several chemicals contained in disposables that may cause adverse affects in some babies. However, cloth diapers are typically free of these chemicals. Of greater impact, though, is the fact that disposable diapers are thrown away. A baby may soil six to eight disposables daily. At the end of a week, that’s over 50 diapers in the garbage!
Research done by the Sustainability Institute showed that 18 billion diapers are thrown away each year in the U.S. alone. Since the materials in most diapers are not biodegradable, dirty diapers are stored in landfills for years. Even diapers that are marketed as biodegradable have ingredients that never completely break down. Since cloth diapers are reused, families can dramatically reduce the amount of garbage they create.
Cloth diapering is also good for family wallets. On average, the cost of using disposable diapers from infancy to age three is $2500 per child. On the other hand, a stash of cloth diapers can be purchased for a couple hundred dollars and can be reused if a couple has more children. Parents that are concerned about using water to wash diapers can invest in a diaper stash that is large enough to avoid daily washing. Many cloth diapering parents wash their diapers every two to three days. Depending on the material, most cloth diapers can be placed in the dryer, but drying them on a clothesline is even better for the environment. Families that need to dry diapers indoors can get the same effect by purchasing a few wooden drying racks.
If you’re hesitant about using cloth full time, why not try using it one day a week to see if it works for you?
Sponsored by: Luna Lullaby
Image c/o: simplyla
