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DEL.ICIO.USAre cloth diapers really more green than disposable ones?
A new study from the British government shows cloth diapers to be worse for the environment overall and now the government is trying to hush up the study.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s a big flap over nappies (translation-diapers) in Britain these days. Apparently the British government spent the £50,000 to determine whether cloth diapers or plastic disposable diapers are worse for the environment. And then, according to news reports, it didn’t like what it found.
The Times online reports: “The report found that using washable nappies, hailed by councils throughout Britain as a key way of saving the planet, have a higher carbon footprint than their disposable equivalents unless parents adopt an extreme approach to laundering them.”
“To reduce the impact of cloth nappies on climate change parents would have to hang wet nappies out to dry all year round, keep them for years for use on younger children, and make sure the water in their washing machines does not exceed 60C.”
“The conclusions will upset proponents of real nappies who have claimed they can help save the planet.” “Restricted Whitehall documents, seen by The Sunday Times, show that the government is so concerned by the ‘negative laundry options’ outlined in the report, it has told its media managers not to give its conclusions any publicity.”
“The report found that while disposable nappies used over 2½ years would have a global warming , impact of 550kg of CO2 reusable nappies produced 570kg of CO2 on average. But if parents used tumble dryers and washed the reusable nappies at 90C, the impact could spiral to . 993kg of CO2 A Defra spokesman said the government was shelving plans for future research on nappies.”
Patti Ghezzi, the AJC’s former Get Schooled blogger and now mommy, wrote in the AJC earlier this summer how she had decided to stop using her cloth diapers during the water shortage because she felt like using the water during the drought was worse than putting the disposable ones in a landfill at that point in time.
Of course there are other options according to this Earth friendly Web site — a hybrid diaper that has a cloth outer liner and a flushable inner liner. However, no mention on the cost per diaper for convenience as well as being environmentally sound.
What do think of the British findings about nappies? Does it change how you feel about which is the greener choice? What did you use with your children and why? What do you think about the new hybrid diaper?
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By Most of the diapers...
November 7, 2008 7:55 AM | Link to this
I have seen are white - they only turn green AFTER use!
By Jesse's Girl
November 7, 2008 8:04 AM | Link to this
I don’t care how GREEN they are or aren’t. God made disposables for a reason….Beides, no matter how quickly you get to them….they always smell like tee-tee or poopie-doo.
By Mr. Nice Guy
November 7, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this
Who cares….
By JATL
November 7, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this
This is what I’ve said for years! By the time you wash and dry cloth diapers over and over again -they are much worse for the environment than sending disposables to an actual set-aside landfill. I don’t like the effect of any of it, but you have to cover those little butts with something! I try very hard to be green and do many other things to help the environment, so I don’t feel too terrible about my disposables.
By FCM
November 7, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this
JG—I disagree with you…. GOD did not make the disposable diaper….He let MAN make it.
In Eden God let everyone run around naked, and then clothed Adam & Eve as they left in animal skins. They had not had a child yet.
(Yes, I know I went all factual on you).
All that said, Iwas fine with using Pampers on mine and if I were to ever have a child again (unlikely) I would gladly spend the cash on Pampers again. I did recycle though…I kept all those plastic grocery bags to wrap the nasty diapers in so they could be disposed of and didn’t buy that diaper genie nonsense.
Side note: I cannot believe this would be the Fun Friday topic. Bah!
By nurse&mother
November 7, 2008 8:36 AM | Link to this
I have a hard time believing that reusable diapers are NOT earth friendly. I used cotton training underwear way before either of my children were potty trained. I threw the pee pee ones in with the regular wash. The poo poo ones got thrown in with the bleach items. I cannot see how throwing in a few extra cloth diapers or training pants into the regular wash is going to negatively impact the Earth. I think this reduces uge amounts of trash in the landfill.
By Sugar
November 7, 2008 8:44 AM | Link to this
FCM I’m with you, this isn’t a fun topic for a Friday. Shame on Theresa (ha ha)!! It’s been a LONG week, and I wanted to have some fun here today…..
My kids are all out of diapers. We used whatever was on sale. Usually it was Target brand diapers.
Have a good day everyone.
By amy
November 7, 2008 8:59 AM | Link to this
This is gross, sorry but… My friend, whenever possible, after a number 2 in the disposable diapers and now disposable pullups-will go dump the #2 in the toilet and flush it before rolling up the diaper and throwing it in the waste can.
Does anyone else do that? At least it is getting rid of some of the toxicity. Although the plastic part is still being put in a landfill, and that’s another flush of the toilet.
By A Mom
November 7, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this
So the fact that disposable diapers require energy (and petroleum and water!) to be made and then after a single use hang out in a landfill for ever and ever doesn’t count for anything? Interesting. I use cloth - it’s easy, I don’t do a great deal of extra laundry, and it saves me money. Sure, not for everyone, but if you think of pins and rubber pants when you think of cloth diapers, you might want to look at BumGenius and FuzziBunz brands to see how far they’ve come.
By A Mom
November 7, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this
Poop is supposed to be flushed, not thrown away, when using disposables. Says it right on the package.
By lakerat
November 7, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
I like to wear used diapers on my head.
By Theresa
November 7, 2008 9:30 AM | Link to this
I forgot that is was Fun Friday — I’m not even supposed to publish on Fridays — but because I am such a nice person I have given you guys an extra entry on your favorite topic —- SEX!!!!! So check it out
By Numbers Guy
November 7, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this
A government is suppressing a report it doesn’t like? Imagine my shock!
An attempt to go green has unintended consequences? Imagine my shock ,again!
I firmly believe that 80% of “green” moves will, in the end, accomplish nothing except to drive up prices on consumer goods and manufacture all kinds of new inconveniences. Know how much dirty coal you have to burn to charge up a “clean” electric car?
By clyde
November 7, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this
Why am I getting the feeling that some people are washing their dirty diapers,their underwear and their dish towels in the same load?
By Sam P
November 7, 2008 10:28 AM | Link to this
By FCM
JG—I disagree with you…. GOD did not make the disposable diaper….He let MAN make it.
In Eden God let everyone run around naked, and then clothed Adam & Eve as they left in animal skins. They had not had a child yet.
Factul? More like fictional!!
By Patti Ghezzi
November 7, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this
Hi all,
Yes, I did quit using my cloth diapers last year out of fear that washing them wasted water. But New England water expert Amy Vickers convinced me to return to cloth. Washers, even clunkers like mine, are not a main culprit of water waste, she said, citing lawn watering as the far bigger problem. The water and energy used to manufacture disposables would tilt the scale significantly in favor of cloth, she believed.
I line dry my diapers year-round, pass them onto other moms when Celia outgrows them.
No government should suppress a study that would help parents make an informed choice. I’ve concluded over two years of green mommery that parents should make the best choice for their family based on the information available and not feel guilty. Switching to cloth will not save the Earth. I believe it’s a very small, worthwhile step, but for those who feel the environmental benefit is not big enough to justify the inconvenience, I understand. I never found cloth diapers inconvenient. In fact, I think they’re cute, but that’s just me.
There are many other things we can do to reduce landfill waste such as composting, recycling and buying less stuff.
By Sane Mom
November 7, 2008 11:18 AM | Link to this
The study doesn’t even look at the carbon footprint and water use of the manufacture of disposable diapers. When you’re going through up to a dozen a day—sometimes more in the beginning—that’s far greater than the responsible washing of cloth. That’s Proctor and Gamble’s dirty little secret, and no one’s going to get their numbers on that horrible waste. Add that to the ENORMOUS landfill use and the poisoning of our groundwater with irresponsible dumping of disposables (yes, it is illegal to not dump solid waste in the toilet before wrapping it and tossing it in the trash), and I’ll keep my cloth “thankyouverymuch”.
Also, the study considered only the carbon footprint of washing at 190 degrees F. I don’t know about most of you, but my water heater doesn’t regularly get that high. I know there are special washers out there that do that, but they are still rather uncommon here in the U.S.. And it is entirely unnecessary to wash that hot regularly (if ever). And I sun-dry my dipes as often as possible as it keeps them white and smelling fresh.
This study’s a bunch of one-sided malarkey. Show me a balanced, scientific study not paid for by the disposable products giants, and then I’ll listen.
By jlw
November 7, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this
They may be greener, but human waste is NOT supposed to enter the landfills. With that being said, each time you use a disposable diaper you are violating this law!
By David
November 7, 2008 11:38 AM | Link to this
How green something is is not a concern. Climate change, global warming…whatever the pc term is today doesn’t effect my decisions on anything. I would not wash diapers out even if they did impact the environment less. Environmentalists are a cancer
By shez
November 7, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this
Its amazing how a reporters point of view can skew a report like this. The actual report, does give the figure quoted, but also says that if the washing machines are actually full, run at less than 60 (most manufacturers recommend 40) and are not tumble dried (line drying is one option but many folk use radiators etc) then the figure is less than the disposable, up to 40% less. Some reportage highlights this, some, like the Times, don’t. And FYI washing reusables uses 1% more water in the average household.
By MM
November 7, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this
I have read the actual study and the scenario for cloth diaper use that they used in the study is not representitive of what most cloth diaper users are doing. They looked at using only cotton diapers. Traditional cotton manufacturing has a large global footprint. If you look at 100% organic cotton cloth diapers, hemp/organic cotton diapers or pocket diapers the results are very different. Many people using pocket diapers do line dry them year round because they dry very fast even indoors on a drying rack. Even if you do dry them in the dryer it takes all of 20 minutes for them to dry. I also don’t know anyone who throws away cloth diapers after 1 child. They are always passed down to other children or donated to charities that pass them along to needy families. The temperatures they used in washing cloth diapers are also much higher than people in the US normally use. This study was vary skewed. I use cloth diapers not just because of the environment, but to save a ton of money and also to have my child wear cute, soft, comfy cloth diapers, rather than smelly paper ones.
By karia
November 7, 2008 12:16 PM | Link to this
If I’m blessed enough to have another child, we’ll definitely use cloth diapers. The new ones are so cute and fluffy, with velcro closures and leg gathers like today’s disposables. My choice isn’t really an environmental one, but financial. Sure it costs a few hundred dollars to get set up initially. But the cost savings over disposables over 3 years is astounding. I can think of a lot better ways to spend that money than on something that’s literally going to get crapped on and thrown away.
By tcowdery
November 7, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this
The study only looks at the carbon footprint of each type of diaper. How about the fact that the chemicals in disposables are hazardous and had to be removed from tampons after being linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome? It follows that these chemicals would leach out not only on to the babies’ skin, but also into the ground once in a landfill. Then there’s the fact that you can probably count on one hand how any parents using disposables actually follow the manufacturers recommendations of removing poop before tossing them in the bin. You have no option with disposables, but all those poopy disposable nappies in the landfills are potentially contaminating our drinking water. I’ve been using cloth since day one with my 1 year old daughter and you couldn’t pay me to switch to disposables. In addition to my belief they are more environmentally responsible, she’s never had nappy rash and the cost savings are phenominal. Now that they have the cloth nappies that grow with the child, the impact on the environment of production is less, plus it saves you even more money. Why would I use disposables???
By tcowdery
November 7, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this
Of course, I meant to say ‘you have no option with cloth’, not disposable.
By Jessica Ames
November 7, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this
The problem with this study is it only measures one impact of diapers on the environment - energy use. It doesn’t take into consideration the environmental impact of increased need for landfill space caused by disposable diapers which is absolutely enormous (A very significant percentage of overall waste in America). Allowing each child on this planet to have each and every “movement” they produce packaged in a partially non-biodegradable substance and thrown in a landfill is an obviously dead-end street that future generations will not be able to travel unless the make-up of disposables is changed. Further, the energy costs of PRODUCING disposables is usually overlooked and usually quite comparable to the laundering of cloth diapers.
By Theresa
November 7, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this
Hey Patti — I’m glad you came on to update us. I love hearing about all your green mommery!
By new mom
November 7, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this
When our little one was born Sept 07, we decided we’d use ‘G-diapers’, a hybrid which others referred to. You flush the insert, but we didn’t like them very much, they always leaked. It seemed that, with every change, we had to wash out the liner in hot water. During the drought. So we went to disposables.
Our daughter has very sensitive skin, and even the sensitive skin diapers aggravated it. I researched diapers and found Seventh Generation. They are a bit more, but are chlorine-free, so they are a khaki color. But they work great and don’t contribute to any diaper rash. I have heard the environmental folks say they are better for the environment, but I’m not sure how, unless it’s in the manufacturing stage, since they are chlorine-free. We love them, and buy them via Diapers.com. If your order is $50+, there is free shipping. No lugging diapers back and forth!
By nurse&mother
November 7, 2008 3:56 PM | Link to this
Great points Sane Mom!!
By cj
November 7, 2008 4:41 PM | Link to this
I use disposables, and the best ones I’ve found are Nature’s Babycare. I found them on diapers.com. They are about $11 for a pack, and no petroleum is used in their production. I believe they are all-cotton, so they will break down in a landfill. I order a case of them for $44, and I’m set for a month!
By Heather
November 7, 2008 4:58 PM | Link to this
Many people also fail to read the fine print on the packages of disposable diapers. It is ILLEGAL to dispose of human feces in landfills, poop belongs in the toilet. Disposable diapes not used properly can lead to leaching of bacteria into our water!
By Manda
January 13, 2009 12:02 PM | Link to this
How is one extra wash load any different than kid flushing a toilet? I know alot of Cloth diapering mom’s who wash on cold to save on the electric bill and have no issues getting them clean. Alot of Cloth diapering mothers are also doing alot of other things to save the planet, like hanging all laundry during warm months, using vehicles less, reducing or eliminating chemical use in their homes, reducing tons, recycling alot and reusing as much as possible, using a lot of energy efficient techniques to save the enviornment and thier electric bill. CD mom’s are usually thrifty and green, they often go together.
So even if washing them added a little extra carbon, everything else a typical green family does more than makes up for it. Plus the cost is so much cheaper, and they don’t end up in a landfill untill they have been thru MANY children. I’m still pro-cloth and will still cloth diaper my little ones.
There will alwys be two sides to EVERY argument, cloth included. (especially if the argument sells papers)
PS I understand that even disposable users can be green too, I’m not flaming just stating my side.
By Manda
January 13, 2009 12:07 PM | Link to this
oh, and who the heck washes anything at over 140 degrees farenheight? Most Hot water heaters I know of are set at around 120 if you have kids, ours at 130 and we still dont’ wash in water that hot for anything!