Benefits of Cloth Diapers in a Disposable Society

If you are pregnant, or a new mom, one of the things that may be on your mind right now is the choice of diapers for your little one. You may be thinking about brand name vs. generic, or which diapers are on sale this week, but let me remind you of the age-old choice...cloth diapers. You may think, "Nobody uses those things anymore!" however, cloth diapers remain a viable and popular alternative among today's parents. Read on for some of the top reasons why modern parents choose cloth.

Environmental Impact: You may have noticed that more and more of today's parents thrive on "convenience" and "disposable" items. You may have seen the disposable washcloths and even baby bibs, and placemats on the market today. While these things may make life just a little bit easier short term, it seems like many parents are not thinking about the long-term impact of today's "conveniences."

The main offender in this disposable society is disposable diapers. While no one knows for sure how long it takes for one disposable diaper to decompose, it is estimated that it takes between 250-500 years. So long after your baby, and their babies, and their babies are gone, the diapers you use on your child will still be taking up space on our already overcrowded planet.

According to the Real Diaper Association, disposable diapers are the third most populous consumer item in landfills today. In a home with a baby, disposable diapers represent about 50% of all household waste! Waste, of course, being the operative word here. Cloth diapers also take many times more raw materials to produce, and generate much more solid waste than cloth diapers. ¹

Health Concerns: Cloth diapers remain a much better alternative to disposables. They are by far a healthier choice as well. The main cause of diaper rash in babies is excess moisture against the skin. Disposable diapers are so super-absorbent, it is often hard to tell when the baby is wet, which results in less diaper changes, and higher probability of diaper rash.