Question for those who use cd's for environmental reasons

[Vicitoria]

Hello!

I was having a cloth diaper discussion with dh. He is very much against them because he is quite lazy but he is also pretty intelligent so I'm looking for input. When I explained how much nicer it would be for dc to have a nice soft cloth diaper instead of a disposable one he definitely agreed but when I said they were better for the environment he said it depends on how you look at it because you have to do extra laundry with hot water that uses both water and energy.

Also - when we were staying with my FIL I picked up some enviromentally friendly - bio-degradable disposables and FIL said they were pointless because once they get in the landfill they are covered with all the other trash and decompose at the same rate of everything else anyway.

I'm neutral on this one but my in-laws do sort their trash right down to the gum wrappers and coffee grinds so they are quite familiar with environmental issues. I'm just looking for comments.

[Caroline248]

I have wondered about the washing too. I know some people are probably better than me, but I wash the heck out of my diapers. Extra rinses, super hot sanitary cycle....

I used to hang them out to dry, but we don't have a clothes line anymore and DH wants to wait until we get our new shed to make a permanent line...so I am using disposables now.

I don't know....damned if you do, damned if you don't!

I would love to know about the diapers decomposing thing though.....


~C~

[whoamama]

The comfort issue overrules all other considerations for me, when it comes to cd. As far as laundry goes, I just see it as another article of clothing that has to be washed. I won't quit wearing cotton tshirts or underpants because they need to be washed. Hmm, maybe we should all wear disposable socks. How much energy and resources are used in the manufacturing process for disposables?

[Penelope]

If you buy organic cotton I think that makes a huge difference - organic cotton is better than standard cotton, and better than manufactured disposable dipes.

I only wash once, in hot, with borax and detergent. All the rest of my wash is on cold. And I've heard that babies in cloth potty learn earlier, although I don't know if that's true.

I find that no one thinks disposable plates or silverware are better environmentally than regular dishes - I wonder why the washing in hot argument never comes up there? (I'm seriously wondering, not being snarky.)

[lrmama]

I looked at it from a different perspective. My area has plenty of water, but very little landfill space. And really, with a good washer, you're not using that much extra water to wash diapers. For example, the Bosch front loader we have only uses about 13 gallons per load.

Also, a disposable is filled with chemicals that are then just tossed into the environment (and some disposable users also toss out fecal matter, too, instead of treating it through the septic or sewer system).

[Vicitoria]

Originally Posted by Penelope

I find that no one thinks disposable plates or silverware are better environmentally than regular dishes - I wonder why the washing in hot argument never comes up there? (I'm seriously wondering, not being snarky.)

Good point. DH used to work for someone who ONLY used paper plates, towels and cups. How lazy is that? Acutally, when I talked about it at work a LOT of people use paper plates, especially in the microwave. I priced them at the store one day and laughed. I couldn't justify it.

On the other hand. Here in Germany, there are not actual hot water heaters (not the big tank ones like in the US) They are electric and make the water hot to order when you take a shower or use the sink. Our kitchen has a 5 liter hot water tank so you have to be very selective as to how you use that 5 liters or you have to wait for it to heat up again. The dishwasher uses very little water and it environmentally friendly in that capacity. The appliances here take cold water in and then heat it to the temperature you want it. I have 5 choices in the dishwasher based on what I'm washing - hotter for greasy pots and pans. I have very clean laundry because the temperature of the water is also heated to order and the washer is a class A environmentally.

[mhenry]

I think your dh at some point came across an old study comparing the enviromental effects of cloth versus disposable, one that was payed for by the disposable diaper corp. It said they came out about even, with disposable maybe better for the enviroment. However, every independent study since puts cloth on top by a huge amount. I don't have a link, but I know several cd websites have this info.

[zoebugsmom]

I believe water used in your washer is non consumptive use. Meaning most of the water goes back into the water treatment plant to be treated and is then used again. At least, that's how I remember it from my environmental sciences class in college.

[Hayes]

My DH doesn;t like cloth. He will use an AIO if necessary. So I buy sposies for him. He keeps them in his office and changes Samuel first thing in the morning, when he wakes around 5. I figure I am not getting up, so I don't mind. Since do cloth almost all the time, I don't worry too much about it.

[Rainbowbird]

With a baby in cloth and a preschooler in cloth trainers, we do a load of dipes every other day. Cold wash no soap, then hot wash, then cold rinse. They come out perfect every time.

I don't see it as a lot of extra laundry, b/c it's not, and we haven't noticed any difference in our electric use since cloth diapering. I hang them out when possible in the nice weather.

I have saved BUNDLES of money using cloth. First off, most cloth diapering styles are cheaper than disp. in the long run. And then you can sell them, often for a third to half of the original price! It is MUCH cheaper to cloth diaper.

HTH!

[bu's mama]

I have to agree with what pp's have said...cloth wins for both environment & comfort, so I won't restate all the points.

I forgot where I read this (& dd's been out of dipes for awhile) but they basically said anytime you can have a reusable item that lasts (diapers, utensils, razors, clothes) it is the much better environmental choice than a disposable.

[Alkenny]

If you a do a search on the diapering board, there have been many links to the actual effects environmentally with each and cloth wins hands down.

[mama_b]

Well, I use sposies because I don't have a washer/dryer and it would just stress me out too much to use cloth. And even if I did have a washer/dryer I admit that I probably still would be too lazy to use cloth. But even I think that it's ridiculous to say that cloth is just as bad as sposies environmentally. We go through SO many diapers everyday. And then I think about all the other babies besides my dd that are going through that many diapers per day, and all of them going into the landfill. That has to be worse than using a little extra water and electricity, especially when most of us wash clothes everyday anyway. I feel guilty.

[Britishmum]

I think the studies that support that argument were funded by the disposable diaper industry.

I recall something I read talked of the huge amount of water wasted in the production process of a disposable diaper, which made the whole water argument ridiculous.

My dh tried the same arguments on me, so I just ignored him and went ahead with the cloth. He is now a cloth supporter, except when it's him changing a dipe. He often reaches for a disposable, but he changes them so rarely that it's not a significant impact on the landfill situation.

[RubyWild]

Everyone I know (except my sister ) uses cloth with their little ones They're are soooo freaking easy these days, every bit as easy as disposables when it comes to putting them on. When my Dd was in diapers (for 22 months only!) I had a week's worth of diapers, soaked them overnight in the washer, drained, then put through heavy wash cycle, and later, when she was older, rinsed one extra rinse. Describing it is actually harder than doing it was.

Anyway, I just can't believe that people want to put those terrible chemicals on their baby's little bottom and then add the urine to it and have that near their little baby. Yuck!

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

The factor that tipped the scale for my dh is the human waste involved. With spoisies, even if you dunk and flush, alot of human waste with all it's bacteria and viruses ect is going to end up in the landfill which is not set up to receive or treat human waste. With cloth, the wash water goes into the sewer, same as the toilet water where it will hopefully be properly treated.

[whoamama]

Originally Posted by mama_b

Well, I use sposies because I don't have a washer/dryer and it would just stress me out too much to use cloth. And even if I did have a washer/dryer I admit that I probably still would be too lazy to use cloth. But even I think that it's ridiculous to say that cloth is just as bad as sposies environmentally. We go through SO many diapers everyday. And then I think about all the other babies besides my dd that are going through that many diapers per day, and all of them going into the landfill. That has to be worse than using a little extra water and electricity, especially when most of us wash clothes everyday anyway. I feel guilty.

I have done cloth when I had to go to the laundromat, it wasn't that bad, I had to do all the clothes anyhow. Also, cloth does not make alot of work! Laziness be damned, it is not a reason! Make your choice and live with it. If you have guilt, maybe you should re-think, if disposables are the right choice for you, then stop feeling guilty. Life is short.

[mamanurse]

I'm not saying you should use a diaper service, but they have pretty good information about the convenience and environmental issues. Here's the link.

http://www.diapernet.org/index.htm

[leximom]

I'm very new to cd'ing and have has some serious guilt issues with the amount of water I have been using to clean my dipes. To make myself feel better I have been wearing my clothes an extra time instead of throwing them in the hamper, which has cut my laundry almost in half and I take shorter showers. I know other mamas here have been doing that regardless, but it's a big step for me.

[LizaBear]

I take DD's diapers to the laundromat 2 to 3 times a week, run them through a single hot wash, dry them and that's it.

THe water usage for washing 1 child's diapers has been compared to the amount of water that same child will use up flushing the toilet once they are potty-trained.