Cloth diapers are very Eco-friendly. Many diapers that you can purchase will outlast one child, i have even seen some outlast two, so if you think you may have more than one child this can definitely be an investment for you. Even if you don't plan on having another baby there are many cloth diaper swaps and people looking to by your cloth diapers after they have been used. So there are many options in reusing them which is great for you and the earth. Now disposable diapers on the other hand are making there way to the landfill daily. This not only accounts for the estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers that are used each year in the US but also all the gas that it takes for the garbage trucks to get them there. The used disposable diapers that equal about 3.4 million tons per year and actually make up about 1-3% of our landfills This is needless to say much more wasteful than your cup full of laundry soap a day that you will use to get your diapers clean.
Cloth diapers can save you money. You don’t need to run out to the store or forget to buy them while you are there. Infants should be changed about once every 1-2 hours (if it is wet or soiled), regardless of what type of diaper they have on. This equates to about 8-12 diapers a day.
They come in many different styles and colors vs your plain Jane white diaper with side stick ons which can be quite boring.
Cloth diapers wont cause irritation as much as disposables and are better for your baby’s health, read Chemicals and your Baby’s Buns below to learn more
Chemicals and your Babys Buns You may here me talk a lot about chemicals being in disposable diapers. Here is a list of some of them.
Polyacrylic acid- Can absorb about 30 times its weight in water and is added in powdered form. There is about 4-5 grams per disposable diaper.
Dioxin- can be found in the same amounts in all disposables and some cloth diapers. This is due to the bleaching process so this is why i often suggest organic or unbleached diapers. If you are wondering whether a diaper has been bleached or not just look at its color, if its white then its been bleached. Natural cotton will look more of a natural tan color. Dioxins are made from wood pulp (and many other other types of material such as cotton) cooming into contact with bleach. This process normally makes polychlorinated dibenzodioxins which is a common environmental pollutant. Every tee shirt you own probably contains this as well, so it is not something that is rare in the community. It has been linked to respiratory and reproduction health since it builds up in your body over time. The lesson of the day bleach/chlorine is not good for us as a human race so it may be best to try to stop using it so much.
Dye-Can cause dry skin irritation. The dyes listed below, which add colors to diapers, have been shown to cause allergic reactions which can lead to rashes. When repeatedly exposed to the dye a baby can suffer a long term allergy. One study showed that a rash took place only where the skin came in contact with the dye. -Disperse Yellow 3-Disperse Orange 3-Disperse Blue 124-Disperse Blue 106
Studies have also shown that these chemical are found in disposable diapers which may act as a skin irritant and cause rashes.
Mercaptobenzothiazole (rubber chemical)
P-tert-butyl-phenol-formaldehyde resin (glue)
Cyclohexylthiophthalimide (found in rubber)
One study used two different brands of disposable diapers to do an commission test. This test shows that the following chemicals were emitted and the rats the tests were done on had impaired breathing due to it. Due to the rats impaired breathing scientists concluded that asthmatic effects may be seen from disposable diapers.
-m-Xylene -p-Anisaldehyde -Ethylbenzene -Styrene -Isopropylbenzene -Dipentene -m-Methoxybenzaldehyde -Methyl cinnamate -Toluene -1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene -Trichloroethylene -1-Methylcyclopentylamine -1,2,3-Trimethylcyclopentane
Refrences: http://www.toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Diapers