Comments on: Why You Should Consider Using Cloth Diapers Instead Of Disposables.

By: Jan

Jan — Sun, 02 May 2010 12:49:11 +0000

I have a 4 week old boy, and it was clear from the start that we’d be using cloth diapers.

Luckily, the initial investment was made cheaper because the city of Vienna offers a 100 Euro coupon if you decide to use cloth diapers (a big help), so we ended up with a bill of 200 Euros for a whole set of diapers including flushable fleece and inlays. Now we bought another set second-hand for 40 Euros which has already been used for 3 kids before – talk about re-using!

They work wonderfully, and have nearly zero footprint when line-dried and used with kitchen towel and warm water instead of wipes.

On a weekend away, we decided to use disposables. Aside from the massive amount of waste we produced in ONE weekend, wiping was also a lot harder with disposables (as they absorb all the moisture, and the poop sticks to the bum).

Suffice to say, I’m not regretting the decision to go with cloth diapers. It’s saving us a load of money in the long run, and producing infinitely less waste. The only downside is that you keep getting funny looks at the doctor’s office…I guess not enough people use them yet, which is a shame.

I can’t think of a single reason to use disposables at home. When on the road, it’s a different issue, of course.

By: dsturman

dsturman — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:41:42 +0000

I’d like to expand the comparison in this post a bit by suggesting a middle way. My suggestion is that parents and new parents should consider compostable diapers. Compostable diapers offer the convenience of disposable diapers, but have none of the environmental damage attached. Usually, so long as you don’t purchase your compostable diapers and wipes through Amazon and you buy compostable diapers through a composting service that composts the dirty diapers and wipes (let’s not forget the wipes) through a professional high heat composting process that yields rich compost which can be used by local gardners to grow non-food crops and turf at golf courses, for example.

We have been using compostable diapers, for over a year now, and a local composting service costs $29.99 a month, not including diapers. They come once a week and pick up the dirty diapers and haul them to the high heat composter for you- virtually nothing goes to the landfill.

Some may say that $29.99 is expensive, but like organic food, if something is important to you, you can/will find a way to afford it. The only limiting factor right now is that this compostable diaper service is probably not available in very many places yet, but I am confident that it soon will be.

By: JenO

JenO — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:35:38 +0000

You can reduce your footprint even more by taking advantage of the absorbent qualities of other fabrics, too. I have a less-than-green friend that bought new towels for all her bathrooms just because she wanted a change. I snagged the old ones and easily made a big pile of diapers that work just as good as the prefolds from my first child. I also have a couple a friend made from some old flannel sheets. The homemade microfiber ones I snagged off freecycle work great, too.

By: SkyEarth

SkyEarth — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:48:44 +0000

I used cloth diapers for my children. I had three in diapers all at once and every night I did a load of diapers. The washing was no big deal at the time, and I was working full time. Children in cloth diapers potty train easier.