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DiscGo
04-29-2008, 09:20 PM
My wife and I were discussing last night what we could to be more eco-friendly. We started thinking of the fact that we have been using a lot of disposable diapers and if we switched to cloth we could really reduce our amount of waste each week and reduce landfills.



I know a lot of people think "old school" with cloth diapers but we found some pretty cool stuff online. We especially think the "Bum Genius" diapers look cool. Have any of you tried any of the more modern reusable diapers, and if so what have you thought?

Mtnman1830
04-29-2008, 09:57 PM
I had cloth diapers on my butt, and I turned out fine....kinda....well, thats not the point....

If you won't mind cleaning them, go for it.

Careful not to poke the little tyke.

abirken
04-29-2008, 10:05 PM
I think the idea is wonderful. I say go for it. And I think with more of us thinking green, the cloth diapers have probably gotten much better than what they were years ago. But rather than just investing HUGE into it, why not just buy a few and try it for a couple of weeks and see if you can adapt to the change. I think the biggest issue would be traveling (what to do with the stinky diaper) or when other individuals watch your kiddo (like daycare, babysitters) and helping them adapt to using them.

I don't miss the diaper days nor do I envy having to make that decision.......thought about potty training your little dude or dudette sooner than later? HEHE!!! That way, problem SOLVED. :mrgreen:

Mtnman1830
04-29-2008, 10:10 PM
thought about potty training your little dude or dudette sooner than later?

How bout lay newspapers on the floor and let the rugrat go au natural?

abirken
04-29-2008, 10:14 PM
thought about potty training your little dude or dudette sooner than later?

How bout lay newspapers on the floor and let the rugrat go au natural?

Wait a minute, we talking about a dog or a kiddo here? LOL!!!!!! :ne_nau: :lol8:

Sombeech
04-29-2008, 10:16 PM
My wife and I were discussing last night what we could to be more eco-friendly. We started thinking of the fact that we have been using a lot of disposable diapers and if we switched to cloth we could really reduce our amount of waste each week and reduce landfills.


I would actually start thinking about getting you and your wife potty trained. It's the new trend.

DiscGo
04-29-2008, 10:22 PM
I would actually start thinking about getting you and your wife potty trained. It's the new trend.


:haha:

denaliguide
04-29-2008, 10:32 PM
i've had 3 boys and we opted for both depending on what we were doing. disposable when traveling and cloth at home.

cost seemed about the same either way.

even tho cloth are reuseable they did require soap and the washing machine, more water consumption, electricity, time, smelly diaper bin, etc...

disposable were way more conveinent, out with the trash, do increase waste in landfills. the new disposables are supposed to degrade more quickly now.

2 of my boys are in their mid 20's and one that just turned 6. don't know how relevant that is .

sparker1
04-29-2008, 11:15 PM
i've had 3 boys and we opted for both depending on what we were doing. disposable when traveling and cloth at home.

cost seemed about the same either way.

even tho cloth are reuseable they did require soap and the washing machine, more water consumption, electricity, time, smelly diaper bin, etc...

disposable were way more conveinent, out with the trash, do increase waste in landfills. the new disposables are supposed to degrade more quickly now.

2 of my boys are in their mid 20's and one that just turned 6. don't know how relevant that is .

I would expect the older ones to be out of diapers soon, eh?

JP
04-30-2008, 12:39 AM
I think cutting back the thermostat, recycling the glass - paper - plastic, shutting lights off is great, but flipping to cloth over disposables, I'm tossing. Maybe the disposable diaper people could come up with more of a earth friendly disposable :haha:

sparker1
04-30-2008, 04:46 AM
I think cutting back the thermostat, recycling the glass - paper - plastic, shutting lights off is great, but flipping to cloth over disposables, I'm tossing. Maybe the disposable diaper people could come up with more of a earth friendly disposable :haha:

Now that landfills are being tapped for methane, we should all start using disposable diapers. :2thumbs: :2thumbs:

rockgremlin
04-30-2008, 06:12 AM
Now that landfills are being tapped for methane, we should all start using disposable diapers. :2thumbs: :2thumbs:


DING!! DING!! We have a winner!! In that light, we should be sending MORE diapers to the landfills! :lol8:

DiscGo
04-30-2008, 06:33 AM
I think cutting back the thermostat, recycling the glass - paper - plastic, shutting lights off is great, but flipping to cloth over disposables, I'm tossing. Maybe the disposable diaper people could come up with more of a earth friendly disposable :haha:

Now that landfills are being tapped for methane, we should all start using disposable diapers. :2thumbs: :2thumbs:

:roflol: :roflol: :roflol:

tanya
04-30-2008, 06:47 AM
There are pros and cons and no clear cut answer to this....

The extra water used to wash cloth diapers is just as much of an abuse to the environment as the production and disposal of disposable diapers. But taking into consideration the following estimates you will probably agree that disposable diapers are much more harmful to the environment than cloth diapers.

It is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone. Although some disposables are said to be biodegradable; in order for these diapers to decompose, they must be exposed to air (oxygen) and sun. Since this is highly unlikely, it can take several hundred years for the decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material never decomposing.

The untreated waste placed in landfills by dirty disposable diapers is also a possible danger to contaminating ground water.


On the other hand.....

Pro-disposable advocates say that cleaning cloth diapers uses more energy, and contributes to the load on sanitary sewer systems and potential water pollution. This view really makes no sense if you think about it. The amount of water used per week to wash cloth diapers at home is about the same amount consumed by an adult flushing the toilet four or five times daily for a week. Also, the greater amount of water and energy being used by diaper service companies to wash large amounts of cloth diapers multiple times; the per diaper impact on energy and water supplies is actually less than home washing.

Finally, when flushing solids from a cloth diaper down the toilet and washing the diapers in a washing machine, the contaminated, dirty water from both toilet and washing machine go into the sewer systems where they are properly treated at wastewater plants. This treated wastewater is much more environmentally friendly than dumping untreated soiled disposable diapers into a landfill.

http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/diapers.htm

Mtnman1830
04-30-2008, 07:18 AM
You could put moss in the diapers to soak up the moisture then compost it!

Deathcricket
04-30-2008, 07:31 AM
i've had 3 boys and we opted for both depending on what we were doing. disposable when traveling and cloth at home.

cost seemed about the same either way.

even tho cloth are reuseable they did require soap and the washing machine, more water consumption, electricity, time, smelly diaper bin, etc...

disposable were way more conveinent, out with the trash, do increase waste in landfills. the new disposables are supposed to degrade more quickly now.

2 of my boys are in their mid 20's and one that just turned 6. don't know how relevant that is .

That's some pearls of wisdom right there. I did a bit of research as well (when my child was born) and when you also factor in the time and "grossness" factor, cloth diapers aren't really worth it IMO. Here is an interesting study I found helpfull. I'll just quote the good stuff.

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Diaper-Not-Clear.htm


Although disposable diapers pose environmental concerns from a solid waste perspective, cloth diapers raise concerns regarding air and water pollution. The reusable nature of cloth diapers reduces the solid waste problem, but creates other environmental concerns. Laundering of cloth diapers requires water, energy to heat the water and operate equipment, and chemicals in the form of laundry and sanitizing products that contribute to water pollution and additionally tax municipal water treatment systems.

A 1990 study concluded that cloth diapers used twice as much energy and four times as much water as disposables, and created greater air and water pollution than disposables (8). Commercial diaper services pose similar concerns, plus additional fuel use and air pollution created by delivery trucks. Emissions from home and diaper service drying equipment contribute to air pollution. While disposable diapers use more raw materials in the manufacturing process, cloth diapers use greater resources after use or care. Use of disposables raises a concern about solid waste management, while cloth diapers contribute to air and water pollution and possible taxing of municipal water and sewage systems.

So basically, it's not clear which is more "green", but very clear which is more convenient.

JP
04-30-2008, 10:57 AM
Now that landfills are being tapped for methane, we should all start using disposable diapers. :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
So true :haha:

Shan
04-30-2008, 11:10 AM
I know many friends who cloth diaper their wee ones. It's nothing like the diapers of the past. These new ones are easy, snug, compact and efficient. They even make liners to dispose of the #2 mess.

If I had a kid, I'd go cloth too. They put the used ones in a special plastic zippie if they happen to change the kid when out on the town.

Brewhaha
04-30-2008, 12:45 PM
Disposable all the way. The less time I have to spend with baby poop, the better.