Cloth or Disposable Diapers? A Moot Point? The Best Choices

Since 95 percent of parents put their children in plastic diapers, it seems a bit of a moot point to analyze which choice is better or worse for the environment.

It is unlikely that people will revert to hand washing diapers, no matter what the answer. The convenience of disposables, combined with busy lives, is too good of a help to pass up, especially because it is hard to keep a child over the age of one dry in cloth diapers.

It is reassuring, in a way, to note that in fact, the answer to the question is a muddled and confusing draw, according to most experts. On the one hand cloth diapers take a lot of water and detergent to wash, plus cotton that is usually grown with pesticides. On the other, disposable diapers are very resource-intensive using trees, plastics, and they take up enormous amount of landfill space. Even the Sierra Club considers the answer to the diaper debate a wash.

What isn’t a moot point, however, is which brand of disposable diaper you choose, for the health of your baby, and the health of the planet in which your baby will grow. If you choose disposable diapers, here is our recommendation:

Dioxin is a deadly byproduct poison that is created when the materials used to make diapers are whitened with chlorine. Direct links have been associated between dioxin exposure and cancer, birth defects, and reproductive disorders.

Tributyl tin (TBT) is biocide used in paper mills that is extremely toxic to wildlife, and according to The Green Guide Institute, in 2000, Greenpeace Germany found TBT in eight brands of disposable diapers that had been tested in Germany.

Seventh Generation’s chlorine-free disposable diapers are made with materials that have not been bleached with chlorine, and therefore do not contribute to dioxin in the environment. They also are free of TBT, fragrance, and latex, a common sensitizer.

Link on this resource to locate Seventh Generation diapers near you.

Read more: Family, Babies, Smart Shopping

By Annie B. Bond

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Noelle H.

8:32AM PST on Nov 29, 2011

I am so happy more and more people are starting to write about cloth diapers to create awareness! I, like many people, didn't really know that much about cloth diapers. As soon as I started doing more research on them, it opened a whole can of worms and led me to ask myself, "Why aren't more parents using cloth diapers?". I became passionate about the topic. It was scary to learn about all the harmful chemicals (dioxins, tributyltin, and sodium polyacrylate) that are not stated on the packages from well-known disposable diaper companies. Then, I learned that it will cost families over $3,000 per child in disposable diapers from birth to potty training. This may be more in other countries. Yes, the start-up cost for cloth diapers can be around $3-400 dollars, but families can use this collection for additional children, buy them second-hand, and even sell them second-hand when they are finished using them. There is a market for buying second-hand cloth diapers ... believe it or not! This is a lot less than the overall cost of using disposables where you are literally throwing your money away. Besides the health and cost benefits of cloth diapers, many parents choose cloth diapers over disposables just for the environmental impact alone. They don't like that disposables take over 500 years to decompose and dislike the amount of trash they are making. Lastly, modern cloth diapers really have changed. There are a variety of brands to fit your baby's absorbency needs and come in t

send a green star

lis G.

9:24PM PDT on Sep 22, 2011

Many impoverished societies cant't afford disposable diapers. Toilet training occurs more quickly as a matter of necessity but there is closer communication between mother (usually) and child as the child's needs are read accurately and quickly.

Cloth nappies last forever and can be used for other things long after the baby has outgrown them. Cotton is also a sustainable resource.

In two hundred years time, archeologists will dig up our landfills and find millions of bits of plastic.

May H.

3:03PM PDT on Sep 21, 2011

cloth,it makes sense to use the safest and best

Carole R.

10:55AM PDT on Sep 19, 2011

Good article.

Sonny H.

7:33AM PDT on Sep 19, 2011

We used to have cloth diapers until the appearance of the disposable diapers. Time saver?

colleen p.

5:46AM PDT on Jun 22, 2011

there are people who train their baby to fuss when it eleminates and they hold them over a toilet. I guess people who strap their kid to them all the time do this?in other countries

5:45AM PDT on Jun 22, 2011

anne r.

11:43AM PDT on Mar 28, 2011

Its better to go back to cloth diapers (its reuable, less trees, chemicals, etc. are used). Washing them by hand or machine is better use of resources than disposables. Disposables are convenient for working mothers (but nursery schools/caregivers could do cloth if they wanted to).

Jamie W.

4:07PM PST on Feb 22, 2011

Please check out this important cloth diaper photo journalism project I am trying to launch! http://kck.st/hvm3LT

Laura L.

8:35PM PDT on Jul 5, 2010

I decided to use cloth. while I am concerned with the environmental impact of disposable diapers. My personal choice was guided entirely with what I wanted my son to wear. Babies have sensitive skin, who wants chemicals on their most sensitive bits?? I don't buy chemical laden underwear & I don't use chemical laden diapers either. There is a cost savings to be had using cloth & it's compunded if use them on subsequent children too. One more point with cloth is pay attention to your laundry detergent that you're not adding harmful chemicals that way either.