Earth Friendly Diapers

Environmentally concerned parents are no longer restricted to cloth or disposable diapers. Today, there are many earth friendly diaper options between these two ends of the spectrum. The environmental standby, cloth diapers, are still around, as well as all-in-ones, hybrids that are partially reusable, partially disposable, and disposable diapers manufactured to be more environmentally responsible.

The debate about which type of diaper is the most earth friendly is unlikely to end any time soon. Cloth diapers contribute less waste to landfills, but use more detergents, water and energy to clean. Disposable diapers fill up landfills, and use energy in manufacture and distribution. Once a new human is born, resources will be used to dispose of their wastes. Our environmental impact is never zero. Each parent must weigh their options and decide on the best earth friendly solution for their family.

Cloth Diapers

Cloth diapers consist of a folded piece of absorbent fabric held on by a waterproof outer shell. The outer cover can be reused many times, while the inner absorbent cloth is changed whenever it becomes wet or soiled.

Cloth diapering doesn't require using pins anymore (an idea that frightens some parents of squirmy babies.) Newer cloth diaper covers are held in place with snaps or Velcro. Diaper covers also come in an increasing variety of fun designs and colors.

Cost can vary depending on if you choose to use a diaper service to launder the cloth diapers, or if you choose to wash them yourself at home. Either way, cloth diapering is usually cheaper than buying disposable diapers over the diapering life of a child. If the supplies are saved and reused with later children, the savings becomes even more significant, as do the environmental benefits.

All in One Diapers

All in one diapers are cloth diapers with the outer waterproof shell covering sewn to the inner absorbent core. They also use snap or Velcro closures, and go on and off much like disposable diapers. They can be washed in a regular washing machine.

I wanted a more environmentally friendly diapering option with my second baby, but wasn't sure I could commit to full-blown cloth diapering. I tried all in one diapers instead. They were wonderfully easy to use and surprisingly easy to wash. Newborn liquid bowel movements washed off easily in the washing machine. Later on, more solid stools were simply dropped into the toilet before laundering.

My one problem was that my all-in-one diapers were not absorbent enough to last overnight. Some all in one diapers contain a pocket to which additional fabric can be added to adjust the level of absorbency. These are also known as pocket diapers. Mine did not have this feature, but I found that adding a diaper doubler (a disposable insert that looks like a maxi pad) overnight stopped our leaks.

The G Diaper

The G Diaper is a sort of hybrid earth friendly diaper with some disposable parts and some reusable parts. This diaper is specifically marketed for it's environmental features.

The outer shell is reusable. Two layers of inner liners snap into place and can be either flushed, composted, or thrown away when soiled. They contain no plastics so they degrade faster.

A good friend of mine uses the G diaper system, and while she is generally very happy with it, complains that flushing doesn't always work too well. Apparently there is a 'swish stick' that helps break down the liners some before flushing, and it doesn't always help. This is also the most common complaint I've seen in mothering forums when the topic of G diapers comes up.

They are priced similar to name brand disposable diapers, but more expensive than a generic disposable. Another drawback is that they are not widely available in stores at this time, but there is a store finder on the g-diaper website. http://www.gdiapers.com/

Earth Friendly Disposables

For the environmentally minded parents who just don't think they're up for dealing with washable diapers, there are the array of earth friendly disposable options. Many brands, such as Seventh Generation, Tender Care, Nature Babycare, and Tushies, all make earth friendly disposable diapers.

The exact list of environmental features varies slightly from one brand to another. Generally, they advertise such earth friendly aspects such as: plastic free, chlorine free, hypo allergenic, latex free, fragrance free, and many list other chemicals with long names that are also excluded form these types of diapers.

The chemicals that are left out make these environmental diapers healthier for babies, easier and faster to breakdown in landfills, and more earth friendly to manufacture.

Prices vary by brand, but are usually about the same as other disposables. They are also becoming more widespread and easier to find in supermarkets and discount stores.

Environmental Options Continue to Evolve

The market for all kinds of earth friendly household products is growing. I predict that in years to come, we will only find more and better options for diapering our babies with even less environmental impact.