I guess it was the fact that we now had two kidlets in disposable diapers, generating a horrendous amount of bagged garbage, (not to mention the back strain that resulted from my husband trying to heave those bad boys into the dumpster!) which made me realize this really could not continue. This coupled with the cost of buying disposables made me think. Really think.
The environmental and "wallet" cost seemed to be adding up. Our little green beans were contributing to the plastic waste that will last more than 300 years in the landfill...I began imagining a world full of nothing but disposable diapers in the future. And at a cost of nearly $2,000 to "conveniently" diaper in disposables for the first few years...it wasn't seeming so smart or convenient anymore.
This got the brain cranking and creaking. I started to ask around. A couple people I knew were doing it...
CLOTH DIAPERING.
Sounded scary. I thought about pins and cloth diapers---how was I going to get those pins in the diapers of my very squirmy baby? I could imagine a blood bath- pricked fingers trying to open those pins and trying to not hurt baby with them. And the plastic pants to cover the soaking cloth diapers? Yucky, smelly, heat-trapping plastic pants that I used to use when I babysit for those crazy hippies years ago. I imagined a giant pail of stinky, dirty diapers that I would need to wade into with rubber gloves, protective eyewear, and a clothespin on my nose in order to transfer to a washing machine with the ensuing spilled sewage all over the floor. I thought about a pail of stinking diapers in the kids' rooms that would make the house a less than inhabitable place for our family. Then I imagined the time consumption of such a decision. Hours every week, wasted on cleaning, washing and drying diapers. And just what do you do with the poo---leave it in the diaper? Wash it in the toilet? My husband wasn't all that gung ho about all this either. But somehow, despite these seemingly endless excuses, I decided to perservere.
Then, I found out the reality of using cloth or reusable diapers. There are a myriad of choices. Many new ones mimic the convenience of disposable diapers and they are really easy to use! If you use a flushable liner it puts poop where it belongs and makes it even easier. Also they are easy to wash by keeping them (and washable wipes) in a big laminated bag that you can throw into the washer with the diapers. No hard-to-pin cloth diapers, no stinky rubber pant covers, no rubber gloves, no clothespins (for the nose at least! I do use them for line drying outside sometimes) and no spilled sewage! And probably now a time saver, and gas saver!, considering that now that I don't have to go to the store to buy diapers and wipes!
Ok, so this all sounds pretty good. Well, my husband is pleasantly surprised that the diapering is easy- just like disposables- the only way I could really get him on board with this decision. He does sometimes complain about the acidic smell when he opens the laundry bag to insert a dirty diaper but this is a pretty minor offense compared to all the other benefits.
I just love our little green Bum Genius 3.0 diapers. I can't believe how absorbant they are! I tried several reusable/cloth diapers in a cloth diaper test program (http://www.newandgreen.com/) and they were my overall favourite. They are also easy on the budget as they can be fully adjustable from newborn until 35 lbs. I have about 20 reusable diapers and do laundry every 3 days. A total investment of about $ 400. And this is one of the more expensive options, as you can go for simple prefold cotton diapers and better plasticized covers for less than $200.
I also love the feel of a soft bamboo diaper and like how they are anti-bacterial. If we get even a hint of a diaper rash, we simply slip a bamboo liner into our diapers and it instantly disappears. There are so many different kinds of reusables that it can be overwhelming...but don't let that stop you...ask around, try out friend's diapers, and even try the test diaper kits that are springing up all over now.
Check out the website http://www.realclothdiaperassociation.org/ for more info on the environmental impact, health issues and cost of disposable and cloth diapers.
It is much easier than I thought. I totally recommend cloth or reusable diapers to as it has to be one of the most effective ways to reduce your baby's impact on the environment and make your little green bean truly green :)
The environmental and "wallet" cost seemed to be adding up. Our little green beans were contributing to the plastic waste that will last more than 300 years in the landfill...I began imagining a world full of nothing but disposable diapers in the future. And at a cost of nearly $2,000 to "conveniently" diaper in disposables for the first few years...it wasn't seeming so smart or convenient anymore.
This got the brain cranking and creaking. I started to ask around. A couple people I knew were doing it...
CLOTH DIAPERING.
Sounded scary. I thought about pins and cloth diapers---how was I going to get those pins in the diapers of my very squirmy baby? I could imagine a blood bath- pricked fingers trying to open those pins and trying to not hurt baby with them. And the plastic pants to cover the soaking cloth diapers? Yucky, smelly, heat-trapping plastic pants that I used to use when I babysit for those crazy hippies years ago. I imagined a giant pail of stinky, dirty diapers that I would need to wade into with rubber gloves, protective eyewear, and a clothespin on my nose in order to transfer to a washing machine with the ensuing spilled sewage all over the floor. I thought about a pail of stinking diapers in the kids' rooms that would make the house a less than inhabitable place for our family. Then I imagined the time consumption of such a decision. Hours every week, wasted on cleaning, washing and drying diapers. And just what do you do with the poo---leave it in the diaper? Wash it in the toilet? My husband wasn't all that gung ho about all this either. But somehow, despite these seemingly endless excuses, I decided to perservere.
Then, I found out the reality of using cloth or reusable diapers. There are a myriad of choices. Many new ones mimic the convenience of disposable diapers and they are really easy to use! If you use a flushable liner it puts poop where it belongs and makes it even easier. Also they are easy to wash by keeping them (and washable wipes) in a big laminated bag that you can throw into the washer with the diapers. No hard-to-pin cloth diapers, no stinky rubber pant covers, no rubber gloves, no clothespins (for the nose at least! I do use them for line drying outside sometimes) and no spilled sewage! And probably now a time saver, and gas saver!, considering that now that I don't have to go to the store to buy diapers and wipes!
Ok, so this all sounds pretty good. Well, my husband is pleasantly surprised that the diapering is easy- just like disposables- the only way I could really get him on board with this decision. He does sometimes complain about the acidic smell when he opens the laundry bag to insert a dirty diaper but this is a pretty minor offense compared to all the other benefits.
I just love our little green Bum Genius 3.0 diapers. I can't believe how absorbant they are! I tried several reusable/cloth diapers in a cloth diaper test program (http://www.newandgreen.com/) and they were my overall favourite. They are also easy on the budget as they can be fully adjustable from newborn until 35 lbs. I have about 20 reusable diapers and do laundry every 3 days. A total investment of about $ 400. And this is one of the more expensive options, as you can go for simple prefold cotton diapers and better plasticized covers for less than $200.
I also love the feel of a soft bamboo diaper and like how they are anti-bacterial. If we get even a hint of a diaper rash, we simply slip a bamboo liner into our diapers and it instantly disappears. There are so many different kinds of reusables that it can be overwhelming...but don't let that stop you...ask around, try out friend's diapers, and even try the test diaper kits that are springing up all over now.
Check out the website http://www.realclothdiaperassociation.org/ for more info on the environmental impact, health issues and cost of disposable and cloth diapers.
It is much easier than I thought. I totally recommend cloth or reusable diapers to as it has to be one of the most effective ways to reduce your baby's impact on the environment and make your little green bean truly green :)
1 comment:
You're a crusader for all mankind!
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