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Today's cloth diapers are almost as convenient as disposables.
The easy part: Go with cloth. It's the healthiest option for your baby and for the environment, and it no longer requires you to be an origami master.
The hard part: To get the full environmental benefits of cloth, you should wash them at home rather than using a service.
Today's all-in-one (diaper and cover) cotton diapers, with Velcro closures, are as easy to use as disposables. Forget about pins, complicated folding, and soaking. When you consider the impact to the environment--and your pocketbook--the time and effort it takes to wash diapers at home becomes worthwhile.
A Rash Decision
Cloth diapers also have many advantages for your baby's health (and everyone else's):
- More frequent changes of cloth diapers mean less diaper rash and serious skin problems.
- Because toddlers in cloth diapers can feel wetness, they tend to toilet-train younger and faster.
- No pesticides are used in the production of organic cotton diapers.
Arguments against cloth diapers have usually emphasized the laundering processes used by diaper services, the use of resources to grow the cotton in the first place, the harmful chemicals used, and the water required. But when you replace the diaper service from the equation with at-home laundering, the environmental choice is clear.
Disposable diapers, meanwhile, are unsustainable for several reasons:
- They not only use up lots of landfill space, but also carry fecal matter into the landfill, which can then enter the water supply.
- Most use a super-absorbent gel (sodium polyacrylate) that can cause skin irritation.
- Even “biodegradable” diapers, which contain cornstarch to help break down the plastic, break down only into smaller pieces before their decomposition stops.
Dioxin, a toxic carcinogen, is used in the bleaching of paper products used to make most disposable diapers.
What to Do
- Find a good source of diaper covers and cloth diapers.
- Set aside a separate dry hamper (with a well-fitting lid!) for diapers.
- Check out the Berkeley Parents Network for good diaper-washing advice.
Learn More
Ecobaby Organics has a wide selection of organic cotton diapers and wipes.
Under the Nile sells 100% organic, pesticide-free Egyptian cotton products.
SustainLane.com is the nation’s largest community-powered directory of green products and businesses. SustainLane allows people to easily find and share reviews on anything from organic baby food and fair trade chocolate to eco-friendly clothing and environmentally friendly diapers. The more people share and participate in SustainLane’s community, the easier it becomes for you and your family to live green.
