EcoMoms: October 2007

Doing our part for a healthier planet in Janesville, Wisconsin

DID YOU KNOW?

One child will use an average of 7,349 disposable diapers. One-time use diapers are the single largest nonrecyclable component of household garbage, creating one ton of garbage per year per child.
How cloth diapers compare depends on which study you cite. Two studies from 1991 seemed to show that disposables were no worse for the environment than cloth diapers; this study, however, was funded by Proctor and Gamble, the nation’s largest manufacturer of throwaway diapers. A later study by the Landbank Consultancy found these results: disposables use 3.5 times more energy, 8 times the non-renewable raw materials, and 90 times the renewable materials as reusable diapers. They produce 60 times the solid waste when compared to cloth.
Despite the apparent controversy, many experts agree that cloth diapers are an eco-friendly choice. Other reasons to choose cloth include the substantial cost savings and baby’s health.



WHAT MOMS CAN DO:

IDEA #1: Consider cloth! Modern cloth diapers are just as convenient as disposables. They are available in a range of styles and colors, and are fastened by Velcro or snaps. You need not soak them; just toss them in a dry pail until ready to wash. Cloth diapering can save your family an estimated $2300 to $5000! The savings increases if you use the diapers for more than one child. Cloth diapers encourage faster potty training and ensure that baby’s skin is touched only by soft cotton and no chemicals. To further reduce environmental impact, consider line-drying diapers when possible and washing on warm instead of hot. Use a high-efficiency front-loading washing machine and an eco-friendly detergent. If financially feasible, choose organic cloth diapers.

IDEA #2: If possible, buy chlorine-free diapers. Disposables are white thanks to bleaching with chlorine gas, which produces toxic chemicals called organochlorines. One of the most toxic of these is dioxin, which has been linked to birth defects, miscarriage, and cancer. A trace of this harmful substance is found in disposable diapers. To avoid dioxin, try Seventh Generation, Tushies, or Nature Babycare brand diapers. Seventh Generation can be purchased at Basics Cooperative. Nature Babycare diapers are compostable and can be found at Target. A third option is gDiapers, a hybrid between cloth and disposables. According to the National Resources Defense Council these seem to have the environmental edge: “gDiapers… send no material to the landfill, use no elemental chlorine or plastics, and require much less washing (therefore, less water and energy usage) than regular cloth diapers.”

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT:

• The plastic in disposables is estimated to take up to 500 years to biodegrade. The fabric of cloth diapers disintegrates in 6 months.

•One cup of crude oil is required to manufacture the plastics used in one single-use diaper.

• A 1999 study found that mice that breathed emissions from disposable diapers showed reduced lung function. Several chemicals with “documented respiratory toxicity” were found to be present in the tested diapers.

• Greenpeace Germany, an environmental group, discovered tributyltin, a biocide used in wood treatment, in 8 brands of disposables it had tested in 2000. The EPA states that TBT is “extremely toxic to aquatic life” and is an endocrine disruptor in marine species. It is unknown whether this chemical can affect the health of babies.

• Superabsorbent diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, the same substance that was removed from tampons in 1985 due to an apparent link to toxic shock syndrome. No studies have been done on the long-term effects of this chemical on the reproductive health of our babies.


This EcoMOMs tip was brought to you by Dana Petersen Murphy, mom to Sabriel. You can contact me at dpmurphy@photokiva.com.