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 | No Cloth Diaper Service - No Problem!This is a shame, because if more parents gave cloth diapering a real chance, they would find that using and washing cloth diapers at home can be a source of pride and expression of love and devotion to their new child. Additionally, cloth diapering just one child prevents 4,000-6,000 disposable diapers from entering the landfill (1)and saves a significant amount of the Earth’s precious resources– approximately 300 pounds of wood and 50 pounds of petroleum per baby per year (2)! Home cloth diapering is no more inconvenient than any other chore- one of many “new chores” that first-time parents learn to incorporate into their family’s daily routine. While cloth diaper services are truly miraculous- each week the pile of 70 soiled cloth diapers left on your porch is magically transformed into a neat stack of fresh, white ones- the absence of a service is basically just the difference of adding two or three extra loads to your home laundering routine each week. The debate over which is better, home cloth diapering or cloth diaper service, is a moot point for Ventura County and Santa Barbara area residents at the moment. However, it is nice to know that home cloth diapering does have several benefits over using a diaper service. 1. Home washing saves money. The average cost of a diaper service is about $70 per month (3), plus you often have to buy or rent covers for an additional cost. Washing cloth diapers at home, including utilities, is less than half that cost (4). 2. There are several environmental benefits to home washing. Cloth diaper services require less water per diaper than washing at home. However, to get those diapers white and sanitary, cloth diaper services have to use scalding hot water and bleach. Presuming only your baby is using your cloth diapers, there is no need for extreme sterilization. Also, washing at home gives the option of line drying, which will naturally bleach and sanitize diapers and is 100% solar powered. There’s also the fuel savings- no need for a delivery truck when you wash at home. 3. Another benefit of washing cloth diapers at home, is that you get to choose exactly the diapers, covers and accessories you prefer- be as cute, high-tech or practical as you want. Home cloth diapering can be convenient, simple and affordable, and is loads more ecological and healthy for your baby than disposable diapers. Even the most old-fashioned method of using cotton diapers, pins and rubber pants, can be as quick of a diaper change as with a disposable in skilled hands. But lucky for parents today, most cloth diapering systems only require knowing how to operate Velcro. Parents that opt for a stack of organic cotton, pre-fold diapers, a few high-quality covers, cotton wipes and a laundry tote, can get away with spending more or less $400 (5) on diapering from birth to potty training, plus a little extra each month on utilities. By comparison, July 2009 Consumer Reports says that parents who use disposables can expect to spend $1,500 to $2,000 more on diapers (6). The most important reason to cloth diaper, even in the absence of a cloth diaper service, is for the health of your baby and the health of the world he or she will grow up in. Disposable diapers are most children’s first daily exposure to plastics and other chemicals. The truth is, that like many of our daily activities, diapering our children in disposables is not sustainable, and any so-called convenience will be lost to the environmental and municipal crisis created by the consumption of 27.4 billion disposable diapers each year (7). The good news is, that it is never too late to change. Even if your baby is now walking and talking but still wearing those Pampers, you can switch to cloth. You’ll still save money and resources. Each month that you dress your baby in sweet, soft cloth diapers, you prevent 150-300 disposables from entering the landfill (8). Plus, the transition to cloth, will help encourage your little one to potty train in no time, and you can both wash your hands of this whole darn diaper business. Baby Belle Bottoms offers FREE cloth diaper workshops in Ventura County. Sources: (1) +/-6 diapers per day x 365 days x +/-2 years = 4,000-6,000 diapers from birth to potty training (2) Lehrburger, C., J. Mullen and C.V. Jones. 1991. Diapers: Environmental Impacts and Lifecycle Analysis. Philadelphia, PA: Report to The National Association of Diaper Services (NADS). (3) National Association of Diaper Services. “Why Cloth diaper: Economic Issues.” (4) $400-$1000 for all cloth diaper supplies / 24 months = $20-$45 per month compared to $70 per month for a diaper service (5) Non-discounted prices taken from Baby Belle Bottoms: 24 Small Organic Prefolds $60 24 Medium Organic Prefolds $80 15 Covers $180 10 Inserts $50 24 Cotton Wipes $30 1-2 Washable Totes $30 Total $430 (6) Consumer Reports. "Cloth vs. Disposable Diapers." July 8. 2009. (7) Real Diaper Association. “Real Diaper Facts.” (8) 5-10 diapers/day x 30 days/month = 150-300 diapers Others Sources: Mothering Magazine. "The Politics of Diapers." Jan. 2003. Issue 116. Mullen, Angelique. "Diaper Services: A Convenient Option." Feb. 2005. |
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