When it comes to diapering, you want to take care of both your baby’s bum and the earth it sits on. Cloth diapers used to be the eco-friendly standard, but recent studies suggest they’re not more eco-friendly than disposables: both have their own particular impacts on the environment. So which do you choose? Convenient sposies or reusable cloth? Water-hogging cotton or landfill-clogging plastic? It’s enough to make your head spin, even without the sleep deprivation you’re probably experiencing at this stage of the baby game. Don’t fret: whether you choose cloth or disposable diapers, there are ways that you can make both methods as green as possible.
Cloth Pros
1. You can reuse cloth diapers lots of times, which will save you money you would have spent on endless packs of sposies. You’ll also save landfill space.
2. Your baby may have less diaper rash. The Journal of Pediatrics reports that 54% of one-month-old babies who used disposable diapers had rashes. Another study indicates that only 7% of cloth-diapered babies experience rashes. This could be due to the breathable cotton fibers of cloth diapers.
Cloth Cons
1. If you use a diaper service, it may be hard to find out exactly what chemicals the company uses to launder its soiled nappies. Around 95% of American parents use sposies, which means the number of diaper services has dwindled; with fewer companies to choose from, you might end up with one that uses detergents with added fragrance, color, or other harsh chemicals.
2. That diaper-service truck that picks up your dirties and drops off fresh dipes? It probably runs on gasoline, which we all know is a non-renewable resource.
3. If you wash your cloth diapers at home, you’ll use lots of hot water to get them clean. Along with the energy it takes to run the washer and dryer, this process can take a toll on natural resources.
4. Traditional cotton diapers are made from conventionally grown cotton, which contributes to the release of pesticides, herbicides and bleaches into the environment.
Make It Greener
1. If possible, choose a diaper service that uses fragrance- and dye-free detergents. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to find a company with trucks that use eco-friendly fuels.
2. If you’re washing cloth diapers yourself at home, use fragrance- and dye-free detergents.
3. Use an Energy Star-certified washing machine. It uses 30% less energy and 50% less water than a non-certified machine.
4. Buy (or choose a service that uses) organic cotton diapers to ensure that no pesticides or herbicides came into contact with the diapers or the environment. Gerber makes organic cotton diapers; Bummis has a line of organic unbleached cotton diapers.
Disposable Pros
1. Convenience. At home, they go straight into the diaper pail, without making a side trip to the toilet or washing machine. When you’re out and about, you can throw them in the trash instead of packing them in your diaper bag and taking them home to wash.
Disposable Cons
1. Trash, trash, trash. An estimated five million tons of disposable diapers go into landfills every year. Because most stuff in landfills isn’t exposed to air and sunlight, even biodegradable sposies can take decades to break down.
2. Potentially toxic chemicals. Cancer-causing dioxin is released when paper diapers are bleached with chlorine. Sodium polyacrylate, the superabsorbent gel in disposables, may cause toxic shock syndrome or allergic reactions.
3. Petroleum-based plastic waterproof linings. These won’t biodegrade, and they’re also made from a nonrenewable resource.
Make It Greener
1. Buy chlorine-free diapers such as Seventh Generation, Nature Babycare, Natural Choice, or Earth’s Best Tendercare.
2. Choose diapers with a biodegradable, flushable paper lining, like gDiapers. You drop the lining into the toilet, swish it with a special stick that comes with the gDiapers package, and flush. It takes a little more time than tossing a disposable diaper, but it’s worth it.
3. Pick diapers with waterproof film and fabric made from sustainable materials. Even Seventh Generation uses polyolefin film and fabric in its diapers: Natural Choice, on the other hand, uses polylactide, a low-footprint material that’s sustainable.
4. Buy diapers with less sodium polyacrylate. Natural Choice blends a bio-based absorbent material with traditional polyacrylate gel. There’s also a diaper with no gel at all: Tushies disposables use cotton blended with chlorine-free woodpulp fluff instead of polyacrylate.
Of course, some products work better than others, and cost is another issue you’ll want to consider: if you’re on the fence, try out a few different diapers and see what you think before committing to a type or a brand. Whether you end up deciding on cloth or sposies, these tips can help you make your choice as eco-friendly as possible.
Find ecologically sound diapers and diaper-related products here.
