choosing diapers

In contrast, the disposal and recycling of our own waste reaffirms our connection to a natural cycle (the nitrogen cycle) and our biological relationship to all other living things on earth. This is a connection that has largely been hidden by the disposable, isolationist consumer lifestyle promoted in the west. Large corporations and a cult of experts have inserted themselves between us and the consequences of our actions. The widespread use of disposable diapers is a good example of this.

Many people, realizing that breaking this waste connection has led to pollution and fragmentation of communities, are looking for alternative approaches. By choosing cloth diapering you have already made a contribution to the environment. You are preventing some 4,000 - 6,000 disposable diapers per baby from going to landfill.

But, what about disposable diapers?

Some argue that in dry areas disposable diapers are the best choice for the environment. This is a narrow view. To make a realistic comparison, we must consider not just the post-use impact, but the impact along the full life of the product from manufacture through use and waste processing.

The manufacture of disposable diapers consumes far more water and other resources than even non-organic cotton, which is itself one of the least efficient fibers to grow from both an agricultural and an environmental point of view. And the disposal of so-called disposable diapers results in millions of tons of human waste being sent to landfill where, by most reliable estimates, little or no biodegradation actually takes place.