Remind me why I use cloth diapers!! :P

We've had almost a month of traveling so we've been using disposables, and
now I've gotten spoiled. Already today, Micah's soaked through a diaper +
wrap with ONE pee, and this is after just upgrading to super size diapers.
I double diapered all day yesterday, which means I'll have to get twice
the number of diapers at twice the cost, *and* I'll run out of room in
*both* diaper pails before my next drop off. Diaper service isn't cheap
out here; I'm certainly not saving $$ over disposables, and it's not
possible to wash them myself since we've got communal laundries...

I love the earth I love the earth I love the earth

Em
mama to Micah, 11/14/04

"emilymr" emily@xxxxxx wrote in message
lkaboutparenting.com...
We've had almost a month of traveling so we've been using disposables, and
now I've gotten spoiled. Already today, Micah's soaked through a diaper +
wrap with ONE pee, and this is after just upgrading to super size diapers.
I double diapered all day yesterday, which means I'll have to get twice
the number of diapers at twice the cost, *and* I'll run out of room in
*both* diaper pails before my next drop off. Diaper service isn't cheap
out here; I'm certainly not saving $$ over disposables, and it's not
possible to wash them myself since we've got communal laundries...

I love the earth I love the earth I love the earth

Em
mama to Micah, 11/14/04


Well, I have to say that when I started getting ready for this baby, I
thought I'd do cloth diapers at home (have to do disposable at daycare).
But, cloth diapers are not without environmental impact. Disposable diapers
add to solid waste, cloth diapers use water, chemicals (detergents, etc),
and energy to heat the water and dry the diapers. Many environmentalists
consider cloth and disposable diapers to have roughly equal environmental
impact, just in different ways. (DH is an environmental engineer and talked
to coworkers, so I don't have a reference for that one)
Then, I looked into cost of cloth diapers and services and realized I
wouldn't necessarily save money unless I had lots of time to spend on diaper
washing, etc myself, which I don't.
Finally, I concluded that if the environmental impacts were roughly equal
(although I do think a case can still be made that cloth diapers are
marginally better for the environment), cost was about the same, and
disposables had the advantage of convenience and conformity, I would be
going with disposables. Now, if they come up with a truly biodegradable
diaper made from recycled materials, I'll have no guilt!

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distrib...ng/DK5911.html
http://www.earthybirthymama.com/arti...rarticle3.html

Amy

just out of interest, check out myplanet.com.au

nappy recycling!


"V." wrote in message
...

"emilymr" emily@xxxxxx wrote in message
lkaboutparenting.com...
We've had almost a month of traveling so we've been using disposables,
and
now I've gotten spoiled. Already today, Micah's soaked through a diaper
+
wrap with ONE pee, and this is after just upgrading to super size
diapers.
I double diapered all day yesterday, which means I'll have to get twice
the number of diapers at twice the cost, *and* I'll run out of room in
*both* diaper pails before my next drop off. Diaper service isn't cheap
out here; I'm certainly not saving $$ over disposables, and it's not
possible to wash them myself since we've got communal laundries...

I love the earth I love the earth I love the earth

Em
mama to Micah, 11/14/04


Well, I have to say that when I started getting ready for this baby, I
thought I'd do cloth diapers at home (have to do disposable at daycare).
But, cloth diapers are not without environmental impact. Disposable
diapers add to solid waste, cloth diapers use water, chemicals
(detergents, etc), and energy to heat the water and dry the diapers. Many
environmentalists consider cloth and disposable diapers to have roughly
equal environmental impact, just in different ways. (DH is an
environmental engineer and talked to coworkers, so I don't have a
reference for that one)
Then, I looked into cost of cloth diapers and services and realized I
wouldn't necessarily save money unless I had lots of time to spend on
diaper washing, etc myself, which I don't.
Finally, I concluded that if the environmental impacts were roughly equal
(although I do think a case can still be made that cloth diapers are
marginally better for the environment), cost was about the same, and
disposables had the advantage of convenience and conformity, I would be
going with disposables. Now, if they come up with a truly biodegradable
diaper made from recycled materials, I'll have no guilt!

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distrib...ng/DK5911.html
http://www.earthybirthymama.com/arti...rarticle3.html

Amy

Amy writes:

Many environmentalists consider cloth and disposable diapers to have
roughly equal environmental impact, just in different ways. (DH is an
environmental engineer and talked to coworkers, so I don't have a
reference for that one)

You can make the energy equations come out roughly even, especially if you
use very dodgy assumptions based on too little data about how people
actually use cloth (as a recent, and now notorious, UK report did - e.g.
they assumed 10% of people iron their nappies!!). The thing that's harder
to argue away, and the main thing that made me use cloth, is the fact that
disposables go into landfill, where they don't decompose in any reasonable
time. There's no equivalent for cloth. I just couldn't stand the idea that
all DS's nappies would be still there in landfill, unrotted, when DS
himself was no more. I don't want to decide his legacy on the earth for
him, and make it be that! I feel quite emotional about it, and I'm not
normally all that green. I try not to think about the ones we use when out,
but don't always succeed.

Then, I looked into cost of cloth diapers and
services and realized I wouldn't necessarily save money unless I had
lots of time to spend on diaper washing, etc myself, which I don't.

Really, honestly, it doesn't take a lot of time. If it did I wouldn't be
doing it. You put them in the washing machine - 1 minute? You take them out
and hang them on the drying rack - 2 minutes? You rinse out the nappy bins
and put them back where they go - 1 minute? You take the dry nappies off
the rack and put them away - 30 seconds? That's all I can think of. It
certainly takes less extra time per day to use cloth nappies than I've
happily spent typing this post :-)

Incidentally it turns out that our nursery is quite happy to use cloth
nappies, as were all the ones we visited, and about half the kids in DS's
group are in cloth. There's a lot more of it about than I'd realised.

Sidheag
DS Colin Oct 27 2003

"Sidheag McCormack" wrote in message
...
Really, honestly, it doesn't take a lot of time. If it did I wouldn't be
doing it. You put them in the washing machine - 1 minute? You take them
out
and hang them on the drying rack - 2 minutes? You rinse out the nappy bins
and put them back where they go - 1 minute? You take the dry nappies off
the rack and put them away - 30 seconds? That's all I can think of. It
certainly takes less extra time per day to use cloth nappies than I've
happily spent typing this post :-)

I like the idea that I do not have to keep going to the store to buy more
nappies also. I have bought cloth nappies for my impending arrival [all in
one fell swoop] and I am going to do my darnedest to use them! The initial
outlay was large, sure, but now I have them at home and will only run out
when I have decided not to do the washing...

--
Jacqueline
#1 Due late Jul/early Aug

emilymr wrote:
We've had almost a month of traveling so we've been using disposables, and
now I've gotten spoiled. Already today, Micah's soaked through a diaper +
wrap with ONE pee, and this is after just upgrading to super size diapers.
I double diapered all day yesterday, which means I'll have to get twice
the number of diapers at twice the cost, *and* I'll run out of room in
*both* diaper pails before my next drop off. Diaper service isn't cheap
out here; I'm certainly not saving $$ over disposables, and it's not
possible to wash them myself since we've got communal laundries...

I love the earth I love the earth I love the earth

Em
mama to Micah, 11/14/04

I switched to disposables not too long ago, when my daughter outgrew
the small wraps. The problem? None of her clothes fit! She has *very*
chunky thighs (they are like litte hams, so cute) and a long torso so
one pieces wouldn't snap at the crotch. I didn't anticipate that
problem. They were all lovely hand-me-downs so I traded off buying
disposables with having to buy (if they exist) some clothes to
accomodate the diaper.

We are on the verge of a garbage collectors' stike here though, and if
that happens I'm going out for a half dozen medium wraps and pulling
out those diapers! In my city we have a compost program which includes
disposables so that's good, at least only part of it goes in the land
fill.

Elle
Stella 2/23/2005

V. wrote:
Many environmentalists
consider cloth and disposable diapers to have roughly equal environmental
impact, just in different ways.

I think that is true as well. What needs to be considered is which
resource is more scarce in your community -- landfill space or water.
We have a compost program here that includes disposable diapers. We put
them in our "green bin" along with kitchen waste (includes meat too,
wierd), the plastic gets separated out and it all gets processed into
some composty sludge the city uses on parks etc.

Elle

emilymr wrote:
We've had almost a month of traveling so we've been using disposables, and
now I've gotten spoiled. Already today, Micah's soaked through a diaper +
wrap with ONE pee, and this is after just upgrading to super size diapers.
I double diapered all day yesterday, which means I'll have to get twice
the number of diapers at twice the cost, *and* I'll run out of room in
*both* diaper pails before my next drop off. Diaper service isn't cheap
out here; I'm certainly not saving $$ over disposables, and it's not
possible to wash them myself since we've got communal laundries...


I can see it would be inconvenient to wash them yourself, but surely
it's not impossible? Maybe you could buy some cheapies from the
drugstore to use for liners and wash those yourself?

Leslie

"V." wrote in message
...

"emilymr" emily@xxxxxx wrote in message
lkaboutparenting.com...
We've had almost a month of traveling so we've been using disposables,
and
now I've gotten spoiled. Already today, Micah's soaked through a diaper
+
wrap with ONE pee, and this is after just upgrading to super size
diapers.
I double diapered all day yesterday, which means I'll have to get twice
the number of diapers at twice the cost, *and* I'll run out of room in
*both* diaper pails before my next drop off. Diaper service isn't cheap
out here; I'm certainly not saving $$ over disposables, and it's not
possible to wash them myself since we've got communal laundries...

I love the earth I love the earth I love the earth

Em
mama to Micah, 11/14/04


Well, I have to say that when I started getting ready for this baby, I
thought I'd do cloth diapers at home (have to do disposable at daycare).
But, cloth diapers are not without environmental impact. Disposable
diapers
add to solid waste, cloth diapers use water, chemicals (detergents, etc),
and energy to heat the water and dry the diapers. Many environmentalists
consider cloth and disposable diapers to have roughly equal environmental
impact, just in different ways. (DH is an environmental engineer and
talked
to coworkers, so I don't have a reference for that one)
Then, I looked into cost of cloth diapers and services and realized I
wouldn't necessarily save money unless I had lots of time to spend on
diaper
washing, etc myself, which I don't.
Finally, I concluded that if the environmental impacts were roughly equal
(although I do think a case can still be made that cloth diapers are
marginally better for the environment), cost was about the same, and
disposables had the advantage of convenience and conformity, I would be
going with disposables. Now, if they come up with a truly biodegradable
diaper made from recycled materials, I'll have no guilt!

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distrib...ng/DK5911.html
http://www.earthybirthymama.com/arti...rarticle3.html

Amy


I'm with you Amy. I am a certified ecologist (PhD and all) and after I'd
read countless papers and compared varieties and cleaning etc, can't seem to
see much environmental difference. I know that doesn't make me popular here
and you'll all want to know my refs, but I have been a professional
ecologist for almost 15 years and I've done a lot of thinking about such
things in that time and no I'm not going to dig up everything I've ever read
and give a dissertation on the subject.

The other thing which so many peple don't account for is that cotton (while
I love it) is one of the most environmentally damaging crops we grow
(certainly has the worst rap of any crop we grow in Australia). The
ecological impacts and ramifications of cotton farming are far reaching and
wide ranging. The effect on the ecology, biodiversity, salinity, water
quality and even climate and landscape change is a sizeable contribution.
Wood fibre is a much more environmentally friendly crop to grow.

This doesn't mean disposables are in anyway shape or form a "green option",
but it does mean that arguments about how much "greener" cloth nappies are
are debatable.

For the record, I've used both types of nappy and am not kidding myself that
I'm saving much more than a few $$ when I use cloth.

Amanda



Amanda

Cuddlefish writes:

"Sidheag McCormack" wrote in message
...
Really, honestly, it doesn't take a lot of time. If it did I wouldn't be
doing it. You put them in the washing machine - 1 minute? You take them
out and hang them on the drying rack - 2 minutes? You rinse out the
nappy bins and put them back where they go - 1 minute? You take the dry
nappies off the rack and put them away - 30 seconds? That's all I can
think of. It certainly takes less extra time per day to use cloth
nappies than I've happily spent typing this post :-)

I like the idea that I do not have to keep going to the store to buy
more nappies also. I have bought cloth nappies for my impending arrival
[all in one fell swoop] and I am going to do my darnedest to use them!
The initial outlay was large, sure, but now I have them at home and will
only run out when I have decided not to do the washing...

Yes, I like that aspect too - though in fairness, just about all corner
shops sell nappies, around here at least, and there's one close. We run out
of milk/fruit juice/toilet paper often enough and that isn't a problem!
It's one less thing to think about though, it's true. I didn't mention time
saved by not having to shop, because personally I got quite interested in
nappies and have bought them in several little batches, so the time I've
spent online reading about them is probably about the same as the time I'd
have spent picking disposables off the shelf.

Hope you and your new arrival enjoy your nappies!

Sidheag