Does CD waste more water than it saves landfill space? - Page 2

[potatofairy]

we use five or ten gallons of water a day handwashing cloth diapers depending on whether we need to do one load or two. we ec a bit, so it varies.

compared to the amount of water that's wasted by grown up people pooping and peeing in it every day for their whole lives, two or three years of dipe washing doesnt seem to waste so much.

(^there i go on my poop composting trip again! i cant help it! even at family dinners! i annoy myself sometimes )

[SeekingJoy]

I wonder how the research to-date has handled how long-lived certain dipes are? My infant prefolds are on their 4th baby and flats are on their 7th (not all mine!). The size regulars are on their 3rd. All have lots of life still left. And once they are no longer "nice" enough for diapering, they will become rags. Or quilt filler. Or be repurposed into something else.

[bandgeek]

I don't think so. Like a few pps said, they NEVER take into account the manufacturing process of the diapers. Disposable diapers have to be made (which involves energy and resources to cut down trees, turn them into pulp, and ship it to the factory), the chemical inside has to be manufactured and shipped to the factory, and of course, water is needed to wash away the excess dioxin and put it back into our water supply. Then the diapers are made, packaged in plastic, then in bigger boxes, then on pallets, the put into a truck and shipped thousands of miles away. Then millions of cars drive to the stores to pick up the diapers (and no, many of those trips are not combined into other shopping trips...most people I know make special trips for diapers because a pack never lasts as long as you think it will). This process is repeated about 150 times for each baby.

As compared to cloth. Most people buy around 3 sizes of cloth diapers. The cotton or hemp or bamboo is harvested 3 times, not 150. It is shipped to the factory 3 times, not 150. PUL and other poly materials are only manufactured 3 times, not 150. It is shipped to it's supplier 3 times, not 150. It is shipped to you (or you pick it up) 3 times, not 150. Then you use enough water to wash them that it is comparable to if the child were potty-trained and using the toilet.

People are grasping at straws when they use this argument. Maybe many don't realize that the manufacturing process counts...really! Just because the consumer doesn't use the water and resources doesn't mean the water and resources aren't being used.

I use disposables about half the time and don't worry about it personally. I almost have to use them because of DD's medical situation. But at least I don't try to pretend it's GOOD for the environment! I do other things to help make up for it, like make and reuse my own chux pads instead of going through 2-3 boxes a month of the disposable ones. Because I truly believe washing them has nothing on how much water and resources it takes to get 2-3 boxes of chux pads to my house!

[hipmummy]

I think if you have a top loader and you bleach it could be true. But with a HE front loader and phospate and chlorine free products:NO.

[hipmummy]

Originally Posted by NorthernPixie

I think when this argument is made the water used to create the disposable diaper (or g-diaper insert) is often forgotten about. Never mind the chemicals, etc. involved in the production. It might get tricky when talking about say, organic cotton flats versus AIOs with a PUL outer and polyester inner with micro-fibre in the soaker. There must be something, somewhere that calculates all of that.

I have seen this calculator, but it's not a side-by-side comparison from 'dust to dust' as they say of cloth vs disposable.

Anyone got something better? It must be out there.

Love the calculator!

[Carlyle]

Ooh, Ooh! If you line dry your diapers instead of using the drier, you're EVEN BETTER.

[Adsullata]

Not a chance. Tons of water gets used up in the production of disposables and then they dump the waste water containing dioxin which contributes to cancer. Lovely. Also, as pp's have mentioned, the transport, etc. for disposables is going to far outnumber cloth no matter how you tweak it, because you have to keep buying more and more and more...

My personal level of "greenness": I can't always line dry on a regular basis, so I also cut my energy usage by using dryer balls and a dry bath towel in the dryer and do so with all my laundry, not just dipes. And I have a frontloader washer.

[shinaabikwe]

I am bumping this thread because I just posted this exact question an hour ago and it's a very useful set of responses!

Thanks for this, you all argued well for cloth diapers, it helped me in my decision.

[hrsmom]

There's also the factor (I say this somewhat tongue in cheek) that you will probably bathe less frequently (dare I say you WILL bathe less frequently) once you've had a baby so you will be using less water once your babe is born, even with washing diapers.

I love the example, too, of diapers being used on the 3rd and 7th baby. It's also a cool thing when you realize you've had your diapers for over a year and they still fit, even with just one baby. Definitely gives cloth the advantage from the production end of things.

[sapphire_chan]

Funny how the people who talk about CDs being so bad for the environment never look at the effect on the ground water of all that human waste being put in the landfill.

As for me, I EC and don't flush after every pee.