Cloth vs. Disposable
You will hear many compelling arguments
for and against cloth diapering your child. Consider the following as you
make your choice:
Your Baby's Health
- Disposable diapers contain traces of
dioxin, a toxin linked to cancer, liver damage, and birth defects.
- Disposables contain Sodim Polyacrylate
(SAP) as the super absorbing gel; a chemical that was removed from tampons
in 1985 due to Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).
The Environment
- Four million disposable diapers are
discarded daily in Canada, taking up to 500 years to fully decompose.
- Untreated fecal matter in landfill
promotes growth of Hepatitis B and Polio.
- Effluents (wastes) from the manufacturing
process of disposables - pulp and paper, plastics - contribute to soil and
ground water contamination.
Cloth Diapers
- Cloth diapers are made of 100% cotton.
- Cloth diapers are reusable up to 200
times as diapers before being used as rags.
- Fecal matter is treated properly as
sewage.
- Cloth diapers produce 6000% less solid
waste, use 500% less energy to manufacture, and require 1000% less volume of
materials than disposables.
- Soft, breathable cotton is against your
baby's tender skin.
- Children often toilet-train up to one
year earlier
The argument heard most often is that
washing cloth diapers is a drain on water resources, and therefore worse for the
environment than disposables. Yes, washing diapers uses water, a resource
that is often abused in North America. However, a disposable diaper
leaching in a landfill for 500 years cannot be compared to an extra load of
laundry when discussing negatives for the environment!