Disposable or Cloth? The Poopy Diaper Conundrum

// December 28th, 2007

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The modern cloth diapers are so hip and conveniently made like disposables

Here’s the poop on diapers. It’s a necessity and one of the more important questions that every parent must answer. What is the best option? Disposables are great because well, they are uber convenient. You put the thing on and when the baby does the business; take it off and shuck it. No need to think about cleaning the fecal matter or the laundry. However, it’s the most expensive option and also the most wasteful. The average baby goes through 5,000 diapers before being potty-trained. That equates to about $2,000 a year on diapers. According to Wired:

Diapers made up 3.4 million tons of waste, or 2.1 percent of U.S. garbage, in landfills in 1998 — the last year this information was collected, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Diapers in landfills in underdeveloped countries are especially problematic because they often aren’t properly disposed, and excrement leaks into the local water supply.

The supposed environmental friendly biodegradable diapers doesn’t fare better either for the environment or for your baby (and more costly then regular disposables)

“These diapers all contain super-absorbent gelling materials,” or AGM, said the latest newsletter from cloth diaper service Tiny Tots. “AGM is linked to an increase in childhood asthma and a decrease in sperm count among boys. Environmentally, these diapers require as much water, energy and fuel to produce as any other single-use diaper. The bottom line is they offer no environmental or health benefits.”

It seems that cloth diapers actually do offer a leg up on the diaper conundrum… when it comes to baby boys. The cloth diapers maintains the temperature down there at optimal level so sperm level doesn’t decrease which studies have shown that it might be susceptible in disposable diaper clad babies.

Also for the budget conscious; cloth diapers take an initial cost of $700 for the first year and $200-300 in subsequent years. Cloth diapers can also be used for the additional children you might decide to have. Just don’t tell the whacked out environmentalist who think children are a big environmental sin.

Personally, I decided that I am going with organic cloth diapers. It made sense to me because organic supports natural and chemical free farming. Cloth will keep diapers out of landfill and for budget conscious like me(except when it comes to fashion). I like the idea of saving couple thousand dollars. The modern cloth diapers are so fashionable and they make it so that you don’t need to mess with pins and enclosure like how your grandmother used to. I don’t mind the extra work of scraping off my baby’s poop because seriously, how much mess can a baby make? Also taken into the consideration is that cloth is a natural fiber against the baby skin rather than plastic; it’s a time investment I am willing to make. Of course, I get that look of incredulity when I say I am going the cloth route. Even my future mother in law flat out asked me, “Why?” The convenience of plastic has been taken for granted for so long (yet it’s only been around for 50 or so years) that going the cloth route actually seems archaic to many. Hopefully, more parents to be will invest time in doing research and choosing the best (and green) option for their growing family.

Another environmentally friendly diaper option I should mention is gDiapers. Seemingly, many environmentalist parents to be are going this route. They are the first flushable diapers. You don’t actually flush the whole diapers. “gDiapers consist of a washable, cotton outer pant and a plastic free flushable refill. They are made of breathable material just like sports clothing. So, babies stay dry and happy and are far less likely to get diaper rash. And you can garden compost the wet ones. It’s almost as convenient as disposables and just as expensive. I might invest in couple of them for airplane rides and reluctant relatives. Go to their site and subscribe to their news for all the latest info.

Whatever diapering option you decide as parents, hopefully you will carefully consider the plus and minuses of each option. I would love to say go Organic! and Cotton! but I know that’s not feasible for all. I just hope that you will take into consideration the whole environmental thing (after all, you are reading this blog) and make it part of your choice.

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