My husband is an environmentalist, and while I'm not as passionate about the issue as he is, I always, always, always want to do what is best for my baby. When my son was born, we started out using the safest and most environmentally-friendly disposable diapers I could find: Seventh Generation brand, which uses few chemicals and no fragrances, dyes, or bleaches. I was relatively unimpressed, though. They often leaked, the sticky didn't hold very well, and they were somewhat rough to the touch. I then broadened my horizons to include 365 (Whole Foods generic) brand and Earth's Best, and eventually Huggies Pure & Naturals, none of which contain chlorine bleach. The Huggies are my favorites, both for absorbency and also texture, but they are also probably the least natural (despite the green-washing name). I don't know a lot about chemistry or chemicals, but I do know that if a company is reluctant to list ingredients on the packaging, you usually don't want to know what's in the product (they certainly don't want you to know, in any case). And no matter how green I go, even in the case of 7th Gen., disposable diapers are not environmentally friendly. Every single disposable diaper uses water, trees, and oil to produce, to package, and to deliver, and each diaper takes hundreds of years to break down - meaning that every disposable diaper ever made is still sitting in a landfill. They are not biodegradable (not even the ones that claim to be). That's scary, when I think about the future that I want for my children.
The environmental advantages of buying one product and using it over and over again instead of buying a new one each time (so that the product must use resources to be produced and delivered to the store over and over again) is significant. Cloth diapers also save money. Depending on the brand and the number you buy, it may take you several months or the better part of a year to break even, but considering that the average child is in diapers for 2-3 years, and that cloth diapers can then be used for subsequent children, the potential savings even for the most expensive brands of cloth diapers are considerable.
Some people have argued that cloth diapers do not have a material environmental advantage over disposable diapers, and the study cited to back up this claim was the 2008 UK Environment Agency study that found that cloth diapers required as much energy and produced as much waste as disposable diapers, once you accounted for the energy and water used to wash diapers in hot water daily and then to dry them in the dryer. However, what these advocates of disposable diapers often overlook is that "the report shows that, in contrast to the use of disposable nappies [diapers], it is consumers’ behaviour after purchase that determines most of the impacts from reusable [cloth] nappies." Cloth diaperers can take any number of steps in order to reduce the energy and water amounts used, which will in turn give cloth diapers a substantial environmental advantage.
1. Purchase energy-efficient washers and dryers, such as High-Efficiency EnergyStar products in the U.S.A., or A+-rated machines in the E.U.
2. Purchase diapers made of organically-grown cotton, or a less wasteful crop such as bamboo or hemp.
3. Never wash diapers (or any clothing) in water above 140°F (60°C).
***This is a good idea anyway. Almost any baby book will advise parents to turn their water-heaters down to 120°F to avoid risks of scalding their children in the bath or when washing hands. Furthermore, modern detergents do not work better in warmer water than in cold. The perceived value of washing clothing in hot-water is an idea that has outlived its truthfulness; clothing gets equally clean in hot and cold water. And since neither 120°F nor 140°F is actually warm enough to kill most germs or bacteria, washing clothing and diapers in hot water has no consequential advantage.
4. Wash fuller loads.
***A washing machine requires the same amount of energy to run a full load or just two diapers. Since soiled diapers do not need to be washed the same day, but can be washed every other day, or even every two days, washing more diapers at one time will mean using less energy.
5. Use green detergents or detergents especially made for cloth diapers.
***Important things to consider: Are the detergents petroleum-based? Do they contain non-natural perfumes, fragrances, or bleach? I personally love Charlie's Soap, but Rockin Green, Method, Seventh Generation, and Ecos all make great, cloth-diaper-friendly detergents. Never use chlorine bleach, fabric softener, dryer sheets, or unnaturally scented detergents with cloth diapers. These additives can decrease a diaper's absorbency, contaminate your water source, and cause irritation to your baby's sensitive (and porous) skin.
6. Tumble dry as little as possible, and instead line-dry.
***This is a good idea for several reasons. It will reduce any sort of impact on your electric bill, and sunlight is a natural bleach. Drying diapers in direct sunlight will remove stains, and also disinfect the diapers!
7. Reuse cloth diapers for future children.
***This is kind of obvious. The financial savings that come from purchasing cloth diapers instead of disposables add up quickly for one child - but if you use the same diapers for a second or third child, the savings will be thousands of dollars. Once you have finished with diapers, you can sell them through DiaperSwappers.com, or donate them through Freecycle or MiracleDiapers.org, thus passing the environmental (and financial) advantages on to another.
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