| Why choose cloth diapers? There are so many reasons. Cloth diapers are soft
against your baby’s skin. Cloth diapers are also free of the many chemicals
contained in disposable diapers. Our common sense tells us that cloth diapers
are the ultimate in recycling because they are used again and again, not
entering a landfill until they are nothing but rags. Of course, some people want
more than this common sense approach--they want facts. Here are a few
well-documented facts to help inform your choice. We will add more information
as we gather it. Stay tuned.
Are you interested in joining RDA? To begin the membership process, please click
here.
Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely
toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic
chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked
chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S..1
Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic
pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.2
Disposable
diapers contain sodium
polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a
gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in
super-absorbancy tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed
that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome.3
In
May 2000, the Archives of Disease in Childhood published research
showing that scrotal temperature is increased in boys wearing
disposable diapers, and that prolonged use of disposable diapers will
blunt or completely abolish the physiological testicular cooling
mechanism important for normal spermatogenesis.18
In 1988, over 18 billion diapers were sold and consumed in the United States that year.4
Based on our calculations (listed below under "Cost: National Costs"),
we estimate that 27.4 billion disposable diapers are consumed every
year in the U.S.13
The instructions on a disposable diaper package advice that
all fecal matter should be deposited in the toilet before discarding, yet
less than one half of one percent of all waste from single-use diapers goes
into the sewage system.4
Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.4
In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually
just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to
200 times before being turned into rags.4
No one knows how long it takes for a
disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500
years, long after your children, grandchildren and great, great, great
grandchildren will be gone.5
Disposable diapers are the third
largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid
waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of
household waste.5
Disposable diapers generate sixty times
more solid waste and use twenty times more raw materials, like crude oil and
wood pulp.3
The manufacture and use of disposable
diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.3
Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of
petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce
disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.6
In
1991, an attempt towards recycling disposable diapers was made in the
city of Seattle, involving 800 families, 30 day care centers, a
hospital and a Seattle-based recycler for a period of one year. The
conclusion made by Procter & Gamble was that recycling disposable
diapers was not an economically feasible task on any scale.17
The most common reason for diaper rash is excessive moisture against the
skin.19
Newborns should be changed every hour and older babies every 3-4 hours, no
matter what kind of diaper they are wearing.20
At least half of all babies will exhibit rash at least once during their
diapering years.20
Diaper rash was almost unheard of before the use of rubber or plastic pants
in the 1940s.21
There is no significant difference between cloth and disposables when it
comes to diaper rash.22
There are many reasons for rash, such as food allergies, yeast infections,
skin sensitivity, chafing, and chemical irritation. Diaper rash can result
from the introduction of new foods in older babies. Some foods raise the
frequency of bowel movements which also can irritate. Changes in a
breastfeeding mother's diet may alter the baby's stool, causing
rash.19
We estimate that each baby will need about 6,000 diapers7
during the first two8 years of life. The following
estimates are based on prices in San Francisco, California.
Disposables. For these calculations, let's assume that
a family needs about 60 diapers a week. In the San Francisco Bay area,
disposable diapers cost roughly 23¢ per
store-brand diaper and 28¢ for name-brand. This averages to 25.5¢ per diaper. Thus the average
child will cost about $1,600 to diaper for two years in disposable diapers,
or about $66 a month9.
Diaper Services.
Subscribing to a diaper services costs between $13 and $17 each week
depending on how many diapers a family decides to order. Let's assume
the family spends roughly $15 a week for 60 diapers a week. This
equals $780 annually and averages to $65 a month. Over the course of
two years, the family will spend about $1500 per baby, roughly the same cost
as disposables, depending on what type of covers are purchased and what type
of wipes are used. If one adds in the cost of disposable wipes for
either diapering system, the costs increase.
Cloth Diapers. For cloth
diapering, each family will probably need about 6 dozen diapers10.
The cost of cloth diapering can vary considerably, from as low as $300 for a
basic set-up of prefolds and covers11, to $1000 or more for
organic cotton fitted diapers and wool covers. Despite this large
price range, it should be possible to buy a generous mix of prefolds and
diaper covers for about $300, most of which will probably last for two
children. This means the cost of cloth diapering is about one tenth
the cost of disposables12, and you can spend even less by using
found objects (old towels & T-shirts).
National Costs. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, there were about 19 million children under four in 2000.
We could probably assume that there are about 9.5 million children under two
and therefore in diapers at any one time. Based on previous studies,
we estimate that 5-10% of babies wear cloth diapers at least part time.
We will average these figures to 7.5% of babies in cloth diapers and 92.5%
in disposables. This means that about 8.8 million babies in the U.S.
are using 27.4 billion disposable diapers every year13.
Based on these calculations, if we
multiply the 8.8 million babies in disposable diapers by an average cost of
$800 a year, we find that Americans spend about 7 billion dollars on
disposable diapers every year. If every one of those families switched
to home-laundered cloth prefold diapers, they would save more than $6
billion14, enough to feed about 2.5 million American children for
an entire year15. Coincidentally, the 2002 U.S. Census
reveals that 2.3 million children under 6 live in poverty16. |
| **Mommie's Personal Note...**
As a mother, myself, I understand how hard and confusing important decisions regarding your child can be. Naturally every mother wants what is best for their baby, however, it may become an exhausting task trying to learn and decide what that "BEST" really is. Educating yourself on topics like what to feed your baby and what diapering method to use are probably at the top of your importance list. Every baby needs to eat and, unless you are REALLY BRAVE, every baby needs a diaper!
Nowadays there are just so many choices. To breastfeed, to formula feed, to cloth diaper, to use disposables, to wear your child, to co-sleep- the list goes on and on. I know you are thinking, or have thought, "Where do I start?", and to answer that I always say, "At the beginning."
"Where is the beginning?", you ask? Before birth, actually. I understand that so many emotions are running through you while pregnant. You may think that since your child has not yet arrived that you have plenty of time to make certain decisions. No doubt most mothers were just like myself, thinking I had all the time in the world to figure these things out; that I would worry about such and such thing when "the baby gets here".
Well, fast forward to the end of week 35 of my pregnancy- I have only a crib bumper made so far out of my custom bedding set, I have a bunch of cute little outfits for a NEWBORN, tons of little hats and blankies, and my daughter's name picked out- NOTHING ELSE.
On what I thought was a routine OB visit, I find out that I have severe pre-eclampsia and that I am having my daughter TODAY! WHAT!?
I had put off everything. I hadn't had a birthing class. I didn't know how to breastfeed or even if I was going to. I didn't even have a car seat to bring my new lil peanut home. So naturally, on top of all that I also had not even THOUGHT about DIAPERS!
My daughter was born 4 weeks and a day early, weighing less than 4 and 1/2 pounds. When they asked about my feeding choice, I was so confused and didn't know anything about formula, so I burst out with "I'd like to breastfeed, but don't know how." Thankfully, there was a nurse at the hospital that came in and taught me. I was very happy about that decision.
As for diapering, they didn't ask and I didn't know better, so they somehow managed to fold up the smallest Pampers diaper they could find to fit my little girl and slapped it on her butt. Well, what a mistake that was! I admit to being a little later to the cloth diaper train than I would have liked, but my poor little baby spent a good while getting rash after terrible rash while being diapered in disposables. I was finally at wits end. The creams did NOTHING; I changed as often as I could but that did NOTHING. She became such a heavy night wetter that the tiny absorption beads in her diapers would actually bust out and get all over her by the morning. A week of seeing that and I finally said "that's enough" and turned to the internet for help. A quickly came across cloth diapers, and naturally skeptical at first, I only stuck my toe into the pool of this idea. When I thought of cloth diapers I saw origami folding pads and industrial safety pins...but, oh, was I wrong! I read ALOT, shopped ALOT, joined a cloth diaper forum and crossed disposable diapers off of our shopping list for good! They come with Velcro or Snaps, in pretty colors and prints, are adjustable, reusable, AND they put NATURAL materials against my baby's skin! What more could I ask for!
SOME HELPFUL TIPS FROM MOMMIE:
For those that look at prices first, and have sticker shock, maybe this will help...
When you go to the store, check the price on even the cheapest brand of disposable diapers they have on the shelf. Then consider that a newborn will go through a fair estimate of 15-18 diapers (maybe more) and an older child approximately 12-18 diapers a day.
**Please remember that even if you decide to use disposable diapers, that I child should NOT have to sit in the same diaper for more than 2 hours! Wet or soiled diapers should be changed as soon as possible.**
Okay, back to the point..
Now each week you will need roughly 105-126 diapers give or take, for a newborn. At my last check, the particular brand of disposables I used to buy came in a box of 84 for something like $35 and change. 84 diapers wouldn't last me a week! But let's just say it did... figuring you purchased ONE box a week at $35, in ONE year you would spend approximately $1820! That is just ONE year- on average, children potty train around 2 to 2 1/2 years old... now we are talking about a total of about $4500!!!
The average mainstream cloth diaper costs between $18 and $20 each. To be safe, let's say you purchase 24 diapers at $20 each, totaling $480.
DO YOU SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING?
Now, you can always get more cloth diapers if you choose, and it may be necessary if you purchase SIZED diapers, but the average child can get away with using only 2 sizes during their diaper years. Doesn't this sound like a much better deal? There are even cloth diaper options that make the cost even less expensive!
Starting to sound better to you now? It did to me!
I have also included here some great information from the Real Diaper Association, a not-for-profit organization to promote cloth diaper awareness. The information is great, even if some of it may get a bit technical.
More information from them can be found on their website at RealDiapers.ORG. I encourage everyone to take the time to look at their site and to truly educate themselves about cloth diapers and their importance in your child's life.
If you have any questions or just need some one-on-one assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. This is something I truly believe in and wish to sincerely advocate, so I am always happy to answer questions or help another mother along. If you are just starting out, I can help. If you are well on your way but wish to explore more options, I can help with that, too.
Please take the time to consider cloth diapers for your child or children- it is important for them, you, and our environment.
With kind regards from my home to yours,
Michelle Tate
Please click here to view the Real Diaper Association's website:
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| Sources
1 Allsopp, Michelle. Achieving Zero Dioxin: An emergency
strategy for dioxin elimination. September 1994. Greenpeace.
http://archive.greenpeace.org/toxics/reports/azd/azd.html
2 Greenpeace. New Tests Confirm TBT Poison in Procter
& Gamble's Pampers: Greenpeace Demands World-Wide Ban of Organotins in All
Products. 15 May 2000.
http://archive.greenpeace.org/pressreleases/toxics/2000may152.html
3 Armstrong, Liz and Adrienne Scott Whitewash:
Exposing the Health and Environmental Dangers of Women's Sanitary
Products and Disposable Diapers, What You Can Do About It. 1993. HarperCollins.
4 Lehrburger, Carl. 1988. Diapers in the Waste Stream: A
review of waste management and public policy issues. 1988. Sheffield, MA: self-published.
5 Link, Ann. Disposable nappies: a
case study in waste prevention. April 2003. Women's
Environmental Network.
6 Lehrburger, C., J. Mullen and C.V.
Jones. 1991. Diapers: Environmental Impacts and Lifecycle Analysis.
Philadelphia, PA: Report to The National Association of Diaper Services (NADS).
7 Average of 8 changes per day
over 2 years (8x365x2=5,840)
8 We are using 2 as the average
age of transition from diapers to toilet use.
9 60x52x$0.255=$795.60, or $800.
$800x2years=$1,600. $1,600÷24=$66 per month.
10 3 dozen each in two sizes
accommodates most babies
11 6 dozen prefolds at an average of $2.16
each and 16 covers at $8.50 each ((72x$2.16)+(12x$8.50)=$292)
12 $300÷2 children = $150 per child.
Compare to $1,600 per child for disposables
13 8.8 million x 60 x 52 = 27.4
billion
14 Cloth diapering is 90%
cheaper. 90% of $7 billion is $6.3 billion.
15 Food costs calculated at
$2,475 per child per year or $6.78 per child per day for 3 meals and 2 snacks.
Costs based on U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, Child
and Adult Care Food Program. Figures current as of July 2003.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Care/CACFP/cacfpfaqs.htm
16 Percent of People in Poverty
by Definition of Income and Selected Characteristics: 2002 (Revised).
http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/poverty02/r&dtable5.html
17Stone, Janis and Sternweis, Laura. Consumer Choice -- Diaper Dilemma. Iowa Sate University - University Extension. ID.# 1401. 1994.
http://www.rockwellcollins.com/daycare/pdf/pm1401.pdf
18C-J Partsch, M Aukamp, W G Sippell Scrotal temperature is increased in disposable plastic lined nappies. Division
of Paediatric Endocrinology, Department of Paediatrics,
Christian-Albrechts- University of Kiel, Schwanenweg 20, D-24105 Kiel,
Germany. Arch Dis Child 2000;83:364-368.
Click here or go to http://adc.bmjjournals.com and search by the title of the study.
19 Boiko, S. 1997. Diapers and diaper rashes. February 1, 1997. Dermatology Nursing.
20 Shin, H.T. 2005. Diaper dermatitis that does not quit. Dermatologic Therapy, 18: 124-135.
21 Weiner, F. 1979. The relationship of diapers to diaper rashes in the
one-month-old infant. The Journal of Pediatrics, 95: 422-424.
22 Stein, H. 1982. Incidence of diaper rash when using cloth and disposable
diapers The Journal of Pediatrics, 101: 721-723. |
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