The Green Diaper Debate: Cloth vs Disposable

New parents are overwhelmed with a barrage of choices regarding their new baby. Along with picking out a crib, a car seat, a stroller, and a name, modern parents are also faced with another decision: to use cloth or disposable diapers. There are many factors to take into consideration when choosing cloth versus disposable diapers, including cost, convenience, and environmental concerns.

Cost
In the first year of life, the average baby gets their diaper changed approximately two thousand times. The average cost of a disposable diaper is 25 cents, and at two thousand changes per year, a total of $500 will be spent on boxes of disposable diapers. The average cost of a cloth diaper is 6 cents, which results in a much lower investment of approximately $120 for the year. The initial startup cost of buying cloth diapers may seem pricey, but in reality, it is a fraction of the cost of disposable diapers.

Parents can choose the amount they wish to invest in their cloth diapers. There are basic, white cloth diapers that can be bought at any chain store at a very nominal cost. More fashionable and baby couture cloth diapers and covers can be purchased on various websites that carry a heftier price tag. Cloth diapers can also be reused on each subsequent child, resulting in only one investment.

Convenience
When disposable diapers hit the mainstream in the 1960s, the biggest selling point was, and still is, convenience. They are portable, lightweight, easy to close, and can be tossed in any garbage can. Along with this convenience comes the use of chemicals to produce the diaper. This can result in skin rashes. Diaper rash is a very common issue with disposable diaper-wearing babies.

Cloth diapers, on the other hand are known to be a little leakier. Covers can be purchased to limit the amount of leakage. Diaper pins are a thing of the past and cloth diapers are now secured with Velcro closures or snaps. It has been reported that diaper rash is reduced by 50% when cloth diapers are used. Many claim that cloth diapers lead to earlier potty training. Cloth diapers allow toddlers to feel wetness in turn increasing their desire to go on a potty. Early potty training is the ultimate convenience in the diaper debate.

Environmental Concerns
Approximately 18 billion diapers are thrown into landfills every year. Even “greener” disposable diapers sit in landfills for years and years before they start to break down. Some critics of cloth diapers say that the amount of water and energy needed to wash cloth diapers is just as environmentally hazardous. Research has said that as long as parents wash cloth diapers as the manufacturer suggests, which includes full laundry loads and proper water temperature, laundering cloth diapers is indeed a more environmentally friendly solution.

There are many different factors to take into consideration when choosing all the products and supplies for a baby. The decision between cloth and disposable diapers can only be done after weighing both the benefits and the flaws of each design. Ultimately, every parent makes the decisions that will be best for their situation and, most importantly, their baby.