Organic diapers are then produced without harsh chemical bleaches or dyes and are hypo-allergenic. This is a far better choice for your baby’s soft bottom.
The conventional cotton used in the production of crib sheets, by contrast, is produced with chemical fertilizers, toxic pesticides, and chlorine bleach, and these harmful elements are also present in cotton baby diapers.
Saving Money With Cloth Diapers
There are a number of studies that compare the cost of landfill versus cloth diapers, and the results vary. But all agree that buying and home-laundering cloth diapers is definitely less expensive.
One study found that savings of $800 to $1,600 over two and a half years could be realized through thousands of diaper changes. But is a dollar or two a day worth the time it takes to launder tons of diapers? It depends on your family. Using a commercial laundry service to wash cloth diapers is closer in cost to buying landfill diapers, but is still less expensive.2
New Diaper Alternatives
Take a good look at these new kinds of progressive diapers:
1. Eco-diapers. Somewhere between using landfill diapers or going with cloth ones is the choice to use disposables fondly called “eco-diapers.” These diapers are made without dyes and fragrances, chlorine-bleached paper pulp, and sometimes even the polymer gels. Some are produced using wood pulp from sustainable forests. Sure, some consider organic cloth to be the best choice, but given that only 4 percent of U.S. families use cloth diapers,3 eco-diapers are a satisfying step in the right direction.
2. Flushable Diapers—True Disposables. You can choose convenience while avoiding landfills by using disposable inserts inside cloth diapers. I call these diapers “hybrids”—with benefits of both convenience and cloth. The inserts are biodegradable and flushable, which allows for fecal matter to be properly disposed of: in the toilet. (The inserts that are wet as opposed to soiled can actually be used as compost.) This makes cleanup much easier and cuts down on the heavy-duty washing required for soiled diapers.
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