Sunday October 12th, 2008
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Why I Use Disposable Diapers
Posted by Kim Steckler on March 14, 2007 - 6:13am.
When it comes to diapers, I'll admit it: I'm lazy. Everyone has their limits, and in my quest to raise Hayden as green as possible, this is definitely where I hit a wall. Everyone from the upstairs neighbors to my mom just assumed that I'd be using cloth diapers for our baby, and were surprised to learn that I'd be using disposables. But I have my reasons, and laziness is admittedly the biggest of them.
When it comes to our household products, David and I are religious in our use of eco-friendly products, which includes never using bleach. Ever. Not even when I was in culinary school, where keeping your "whites" clean counted toward your grade and my uniform could best be described as off-white. I stood my ground on principle.
This obstinacy ruled out the path of least resistance from the get-go, since diapering services rely on bleach. Which meant that if I wanted to go the cloth route, I'd have to clean them myself. Conveniently for some, this is the most energy-efficient and eco-friendly route anyway. But inconveniently for me, we happen to live in a third-floor walk-up and have to share the building's lone washer-dryer with three other tenants — one of whom just happens to be a family of four. A family of four, in case you don't already know, happens to have a mind-boggling amount of laundry.
Well before Hayden was even a glimmer in our eye, David and I (and everyone else in the building) were locked in a never-ending struggle with this family for use of the machines. The thought of adding Hayden's laundry to our load was daunting enough, but adding heaps of cloth diapers was downright exhausting. I threw in the towel before she was ever born. Hayden's heiney is now happily ensconced in Seventh Generation's chlorine-free diapers, which may not be quite as conscientious a choice as cloth, but is a compromise that I can live with. Literally.
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I second the 7th Gen choice! Though if I had a newborn I'd be tempted by the flushables (but probably not with apartment plumbing!). There are so many issues with an infant, but this is one hot button topic. For me just getting into our newborn routine was hard enough without trying to wash diapers too, and then we got thrush (long story, see link above), so as you say, the 7th Gen diapers were a choice we could live with. Keep up the green work - Hayden is such a cutie!
Kim, I'm not a mom so there is a lot I don't know about the whole diaper controversy but I was at the Natural Products Expo West in Los Angeles over the past weekend and there was a company there called "g diaper". They are flushable and enviro friendly. Maybe they are worth checking out!
You have to do what is right for you. Just think about how much hot water and drying you would be doing to keep your cotton clothes clean. You are saving so much in carbon emissions that you really are helping the planet by using desposable diapers. Does that make you feel better?
Having two boys myself, I remember how many diapers we went through. Good choice!!
My husband did research on the cloth vs disposable issue and discovered, as Vicki R pointed out, that the energy, water and other resources used for washing cloth diapers is probably just as detremental to the environment.
Are Seventh Generation eco-friendly in other ways besides not having chlorine? Like are they made from recycled materials or do they break down faster/better in landfills?
I believe that argument holds true with diapering services, but not if you wash your own diapers sans bleach. And there's always the compromise of using disposable liners, which I'd consider if I have exclusive access to a w-d with my next child.
7th Gen diapers also use an absorption gel pack that's non-toxic, and they're latex-free which I'm guessing might help them break down faster/better?.
has 'em, plus lots o' other organic cotton goodies...
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It is funny to read this and not see any advocates of cloth diapering. I had the opposite experience when I began my cloth diaper adventure 8 years and 3 children ago. I found that I saved $1,500 per child and only added 2-3 loads of laundry to my work load per week. The best perk though, was that all three of my boys were out of diapers before their 2nd birthday. If you child stays in disposable diapers you can add another $800 to your yearly budget to diaper that child.
The best part of cloth diapering IMO is the cuteness factor adn comfort for baby. You can't compare a paper diaper to teh softness of Cotton or Organic Bamboo/cotton velour. The ease of a quality diaper is as easy as 2-4 snaps and wala a happy beautiful enviromentally healthy diapered baby bum. But careful it can be funner than shopping for baby clothing. I have met me share of cloth diaper addicts spending as much as $50 for a single WAHM (work at home Mom) made diaper. And then there are the diaper covers.... that are a must have! Hand knit, hand dyed,can't believe it is wool! clothing for over your cloth diapers. Check out my little passion www.batikbum.com for some examples of the modern cloth diaper because if you are thinking of bleached white flat pin ons you will be surprised.
Cloth Diapers in their most primitive form had been a part of our cloth diapering experience 17 years ago as well as more recently as 3 years ago with our youngest child. I have used some disposables and must say in comparison I found the established routine of using cloth diapers less bothersome than running out to the store for a package of diapers, hauling them to the curb and the lingering smell. The idea of the plastic diaper genies making compacted diaper sausages just did not fit our eco-friendly ways. 2-3 loads of additional diapers a week was manageable over my morning coffee and email run while still in my jammies. The financial offset surprised me as I totaled our savings one day only to realize that for three children I saved and equally invested in one child a full years tuition at a private school. Money in my pocket for my family sat well with me vs. money for the CEO's pocket of the large diaper company.
Understanding the risk factors involved with using disposable diapers is enough for me to continue to advocate the use of cloth. One of the first studies of disposable emissions was done at our own University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in 1989 linking the toxic emission to disposables and respiratory distress in newborn babies. Having an asthmatic daughter and watching over the last 12 years the incredible rise in asthma emergencies at our local children's hospital is alarming to say the least.
The world of cloth diapers has become an art, much like shopping for the name brand handbag or those new shoes. There are many cloth diapering companies run by mothers just like myself using time tested premium products to bring you the best of the best, easy to use, beautiful items. Most people poo poo the idea of cloth thinking of the classic flat, pins and pull up diapers. Think again! Simple cotton prints such as http://eapoos.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=305 can make an affordable easy to use diapering experience. Taking it a step further you can add in your favorite fiber cloth wipes and or trendy cloth wet bag for transporting http://eapoos.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=277 soiled items.
Above examples are the basics when entering today's cloth diapering world. In addition to the basics you will find beautiful hand dyed fibers in organics such as Certified Cotton Fleece, French Terry, Velours, Bamboo Organic Cotton Velour or Hemp/Organic Cotton Velours. Fibers you would not find at your local fabric store. Custom dyed and often made to your specifications. Cloth diapering with a different twist you will never find in a box store isle.
You can also find moms making cloth diapers may offer a line of cloth menstrual products or mama cloth. The same dioxins, chemicals and perfumes often found in your babies cloth diapers are also in many of the commerical feminine products of today.
To spin off at just how improved and eco friendly diapering has become -- enter wool. The 1000's of years of times tested wooly yarn has again made its debut in the cloth diapering world. See http://www.mosaicmoon.com/ for an example of hand dyed art at its finest.
Water -- this is simple. It takes 5 times the amount of water to manufacture disposable diapers as it does to wash at home. Today's machines are very energy and water efficient and have come a long way since my first or even my second child 8 years ago. Adding up the energy used to grow, harvest, mill and wash for cloth diapers still does not leave the same fingerprint on our environment as the disposable. The residual effects are going to be long in the coming with accumulation and contamination to our ground water soucres our wildlife and ultimately us.
Establishing a routine is key. While I realize cloth is truely not for everyone, using cloth diapers has gained a very large audiance and following since I made my debut as a business in 2002!
Try some cloth diapers -- any cloth, it is just soft and natural.