At an average rate of 6 diapers a day, from birth to about age three, a child will use around 5000 diapers, that’s is to say 2200 pounds of waste or the volume of a 107 square foot bedroom. Flickr User: Vermin Inc
Disposable diapers are the most convenient and popular choice to keep babies dry. However, disposable nappies are not the best for babies’ health and for the environment as they contain hazardous chemicals. Additionally, usage of disposables diapers increases landfill pollution since they are thrown away after a single use. Therefore, for well-informed parents, washing cloth diapers or hybrid diapers have appeared to be a good alternative to preserve the environment and child health. But which type of diapers are really the best for your baby and for the earth?
Disposable Diapers: Environmental and Health consequences
For most parents, the main concern they have for their babies is to preserve their health, but they are not all aware of the toxic chemicals present in disposables diapers that they are putting in direct contact with their babies’ sensitive skin. Disposable diapers contain trace amounts of the carcinogen dioxin, a by-product of the paper bleaching process, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, skin diseases, and genetic damage.
Other hazardous chemicals can be found in diapers such as: Tributyl-tin (TBT), a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems, and Sodium Polyacrylate, used to make diapers super absorbent. Sodium Polyacrylate is the same substance that has been removed from tampons because of its link to toxic shock syndrome. There are also a variety of different dying agents used in diapers, ranging from indicators informing the parent of wetness, to colored patterns for improved appearances that are often responsible for infants’ allergic reactions (red blotches, rashes, eczema…). According to the Journal of Pediatrics, 54% of one-month old babies using disposable diapers had rashes, 16 % having severe rashes. In fact, babies’ exposure to those hazardous chemicals is particularly a risk due to their high skin absorption and less developed metabolisms.
But, babies are not the only victims — the diaper industry is also particularly harmful to environment.
The Real Diaper Association, an advocacy group founded in 2004, estimates that 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the U.S. (according to the EPA, that translates into more than 3.4 million tons of used diapers added to landfills each year.) Flickr User: Spigoo
The carbon footprint of diapers is far from being neutral. The use of disposable diapers for only one child requires the felling of 4.5 trees and 55 lbs of petroleum plastic, or 147 lbs. of crude petroleum. For American babies alone, it takes approximately 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture disposable diapers. Diaper production also needs large amounts of water (43 PT a diaper) and toxic chemical products (more than 50 enter the diaper composition).
Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. It has also been estimated a disposable diaper will take about 250-500 years to decompose, overburdening landfills. Moreover, this untreated waste will possibly contaminate the groundwater supply as well as the air due to methane emission during the decomposition process.0
Considering the huge volume of waste created, the contamination of water and air, and the potential health risks, is easy to understand why organic diapers are considered by more and more parents to be the perfect green alternative to keep baby dry. Indeed, cloth diapers are different; they may surely be healthier for your baby and better for the environment.
Cloth Diapers are more cost effective than disposable diapers. Though cloth diapers cost from $6 to $18 each, parents can take care of their baby's needs for a total cost of less than $300, whereas disposables may run up to $3,000. Flickr User: Moohaha
Modern cloth diapers are very different from the flat cloth diapers of the past that needed to be folded and fastened with diaper pins, and then covered with plastic pull-on covers. Reusable, modern cloth diapers come in a host of shapes, including innovations initially developed in the conventional diaper industry. But, above all, they are greener than traditional disposable diapers. However, their carbon footprint is not completely neutral.
The manufacture of cloth diapers requires few chemicals in comparison to traditional disposable diapers, and the only element that may require plastic are the diaper pants, but today there are many that are made from natural and organic fabrics. Usable up to 200 times, depending on conditions, cloth diapers can take a mere six months to decompose, an excellent end-of-life with very little environmental impact. The only drawback to this green solution is the power and water consumption linked to cloth diaper care. Washing diapers requires 2 gallons of water for each use (washing machine and toilet) but it is still 3 times less than a disposable diaper. Moreover, babies’ stools won’t end up in landfills; when thrown away in toilets, they will be drained off and treated by the waste water treatment system.
If cleaning cloth diapers is too time consuming, you can also choose hybrid diapers. It’s a green alternative half-way between cloth diapers and disposable diapers. Hybrid diapers combine the best of both types of diapers: the convenience of disposable diapers with some of the re-usable nature of a cloth diaper. Generally, eco diapers consist of an outer re-usable cover, very similar to those used in cloth diapering, and an inner disposable liner. The inner liners in hybrid diapers can be thrown away, or can be flushed in a toilet or composted for use in the garden. GDiapers have unbleached wood pulp liners, so they reduce baby’s exposure to some chemicals and introduce fewer chemicals to the environment, too.
If you insist on disposable diapers, then you should choose diapers made from bioplastics like those made by The Honest Company. They are biobased and chemical-free, making them better for your baby’s health and for the environment. They also come in a variety of cool designs and can be delivered to your home on a regular basis.
The choice between the different types of diapers available is a matter of personal preference and lifestyle. However, the green solutions still seem to be more cost-effective, eco friendly and healthier than traditional disposable diapers. Knowing the advantages and drawbacks of these three solutions will help you to make the right choice for you, your baby and the earth.
