Opt for Cloth
This post on sustainable living has a very specific target market: parents of young babies.
One of the biggest purchases for your baby’s first few years is going to be diapers. Many, many diapers. There are so many options for using different diapers today from the conventional disposable to organic and biodegradable to reusable cloth diapers.
It is in both the best interest of your baby’s health and that of the environment to use cloth diapers. This is much more sustainable on the environment and is healthier for your baby’s skin.
On average, one child uses between five and eight thousand diapers! This turns out to be 3.5 million tons of waste that just goes straight into a landfill. Also, the cost of buying diapers over and over can add up to be a lot of money out of your pocket over the years.
Some more scary facts on disposable diapers:
200,000 trees are used each year to manufacture disposable diapers for babies in the U.S. alone
They use 20 times as many raw materials, twice as much water, and three times the energy to make disposable diapers compared to cloth diapers
Disposable diapers take about 500 years to decompose
These diapers release volatile organic chemicals (VOC’s) such as toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and dipentene, all of which are dangerous to human health
Disposables are treated with chemicals, which can cause allergic reactions and skin sensitivities
They often contain dyes and dioxin, which is a known carcinogen
By now, you’re probably thinking great idea in theory but cloth diapers take so much more time, are gross and horrible to clean, and just too much to handle for busy parents.
Do not fear, there is a solution to this problem!
Enter bamboo diapers with hemp/cotton inserts. Bamboo is a renewable resource, it is naturally antibacterial, anti-fungal, and a natural deodorizer. It is also breathable and easy to wash.
The cotton/hemp inserts are absorbent, soft, and easy to pull out for quick and easy cleanings. Grovia is a company that makes awesome reusable cloth diapers. They offer a unique hybrid cloth diaper that can be used throughout the day by simply changing out the cotton insert when soiled.
Check out the link below to some other awesome bamboo diapers:
There are many great choices out there for cloth diapers. I hope you do your part for your baby's health and that of planet earth and consider cloth diapers for your babies!
Kind Regards,
Nic & Lindsay
The MM Family
