Disposable Diapers

What is better for the environment: Cloth diapers or disposble diapers?

Some will say that the water used to wash cloth diapers takes away any environmental savings that come from using cloth rather than disposable. However, here are some important facts to consider.

1. It has been estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills each year.

2. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers used in the United States alone.

3. So-called biodegradable disposable diapers need to be exposed to the air and sun to biodegrade. Since this is unlikely to happen with a 'dirty' diaper, it can take hundreds of years for them to decompose.

4. The waste from these diapers are in our landfills that are not designed to treat this type of waste. This can cause possible contanmination to our water supply.

5. Some suggest diapers can be burned. However, incineration causes other problems such as the clorin bleach being converted to dioxin.

The decision to use cloth or disposable is totally up to you, the consumer. Hopefully, the above points will help you decide to use diapers that would help preserve our environment for future generations.


Sources:

365 Ways to Live Green by Diane Gow McDilda

Diapers, Diapers & More Diapers: "Cloth vs. Disposable"
http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/diapers.htm