USE CLOTH DIAPERS
Americans throw away
18 billion disposable diapers a year‑‑enough to stretch to the moon
and back seven times.
BACKGROUND
In 1961, Proctor and Gamble introduced the
first affordable disposable diaper, Pampers. To most parents, it seemed like a
triumph of modem technology‑a clean, convenient way to deal with an
unpleasant, messy problem.
It was an instant financial bonanza for
P&G, too. Other brands soon appeared, and today there are dozens of
varieties to choose from. But along with them comes indisputable evidence that
disposable diapers are taking a serious toll on the environment.
SUPER DATA
About 1% of all of
Disposable diapers
consume an incredible amount of resources annually in
Environmental Action
estimates that because of disposable diapers, "3 million tons of
untreated feces and urine end up in landfills rather than in the sewage system
every year." The biggest potential problem: contamination of groundwater
by viruses. E. A. points out: "More than 100 different intestinal viruses
are known to be excreted in human feces, including polio and hepatitis."
Fortunately, no groundwater contamination of this nature has been discovered. But
with the build‑up growing geometrically, it may be just a matter of
time.
Degradable
disposable diapers don't seem to be the answer. They do decompose faster than
standard disposables (they have a starch base, so the plastic breaks into
little pieces)‑but they take up the same space
in landfills, and the health risks are the same.
DIAPER‑Dos
This is a tough one‑not because
there's any question about what we ought to do, but because it’s hard to give
up disposable diapers. A recent poll, for example, showed 87% of Americans
prefer them.
If You're Ready for
Cloth Diapers: 0 Diaper services pick up and deliver cloth diapers. Find them
in the Yellow Pages, or contact the National Assn. of Diaper Services,
Cloth diapers are ecologically sound‑waste
disposal is monitored by municipal health boards, and worn‑out diapers
are recycled into rags for industry.
Prices are competitive with disposables‑in
fact, they may be cheaper, depending on whose
statistics you believe. Some indicate that diaper services can be half as
expensive as disposable diapers.
If You Have a Hard Time Switching to Cloth
Diapers: Remember, it doesret have to be all or
nothing. Better to alternate between cloth and disposables than to use
disposables; exclusively.
0One possibility: Use a diaper service at home, and disposable diapers when you're away. And if your
child goes to a day‑care center, he or she might need disposables there,
too.
If You're Using Cloth Diapers, You'll Need
Diaper Covers: Cloth diapers don't absorb moisture the way disposable diapers
do, so you'll need diaper covers to act as a shield between the diaper and the
rest of the world. Natural fibers are best, and 100% wool felt seems to be the
top of the line because it offers "complete breathability,"
and doeWt irritate babies.
SOURCES
* Mothering magazine,
place to learn about natural~fiber diapering products.
For diaper covers and related products: 'o Bio‑Bottoms,
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