Did you know that over 18 billion diapers end up in American landfills every year? Did you know that it takes up to 500 years for a diaper to decompose in a landfill? Frankly, I think that stinks! There are alternatives to those little plastic bundles and they are more convenient than you may think.
Cloth diapers. My mother used cloth diapers for her children and she even laundered them herself. Of course when we traveled she took along disposables for convenience. She saved a lot of money and felt good about lightening her trash cans. I'll admit, cloth diapers are not for everyone and there is little thrill in changing diapers let alone cleaning them. But for those who are willing to give cloth a chance, there are diaper services out there. These services will happily take away your week's load of dirty diapers, wash them, and supply you with more. Organic cotton diapers are even available and the cost is comparable to the Huggies, Pampers and Luvs.
Green Warning: cloth diapers may not be the best sustainable practice. Studies have shown that the amount of pesticides used to grow cotton, and the amount of water and bleach used for washing cloth diapers may be counterproductive to our attempts at living green. Some studies have shown that climate and landfill capacity play a big role. If you live in a dry climate with limited water and the landfills are not in danger of reaching capacity then you should buy disposables. If the opposite is true, then cloth is the greener option. However, organic cotton diapers are now available and if you wash them yourself there are green alternatives to bleach. Ultimately, cloth diapers as a sustainable practice are dependent on many factors each of which you should consider.
Tidee Didee Diaper Service
www.tideedidee.com This diaper service is located in Portland and does all of the dirty work for you.
Mother Nature's
www.mothernaturesbabystore.com A local business where you can buy cloth diapers in an assortment of colors.
Zoom Baby
www.zoombabygear.com They have organic cotton diapers in really cute patterns.
Biodegradable Diapers. Yes, they do exist. If you find that cloth is too stinky to handle on your own, are concerned about the environmental effects of diaper services, or maybe feel sort of strange putting a diaper on your baby that was once used by another, then biodegradable is an alternative. These diapers may still end up in a landfill but with a chance to decompose. You can even compost them yourself. And think of all the trees, plastic and hence oil you will be saving. Most biodegradable diapers are chemical free and contain recycled wood pulp. Stores such as New Seasons and Whole Foods have these in stock. This is essentially a great option for parents who are hesitant about using cloth diapers but want a greener lifestyle. The company gDiaper offers a very cool biodegradable product.
gDiaper
www.gdiaper.com
Possibly the best alternative to disposables that I have seen. The company gDiaper offers diaper covers in several colors that have a replaceable diaper liner. The liner is biodegradable and even flushable. These are a little more expensive than buying the Huggies, but it's worth it. Your baby will make a fashion statement in these.
Abigail Cermak
In response to demand, Milagros is adding a second regular session of its intro to cloth diapering class: Cloth Diapering 101.
The Cloth Diapering 101 classes at Milagros are casual gatherings where participants learn all about cloth diapering and get hands-on advice on diapering choices from one of Milagros' expert staffers. It is also a chance to meet other parents who are using cloth diapers or thinking about it.
Cloth Diapering 101 at Milagros is free and no RSVP is required. Beginning February 2011, Cloth Diapering 101 is now offered at Milagros on the second Sunday and the fourth Saturday of the month at 11am. Milagros is located at 5433 NE 30th Avenue, Portland, OR 97211.
Posted by: Tony at Milagros | February 01, 2011 at 02:50 PM