Disposable Diaper Debate

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Diaper Debate When my wife and I were expecting, we made a list of all the items that should be purchased before the baby arrived. The one item every one of our friends and relatives said we could not have enough of was diapers. We started early on by pricing plain, standard, and no frills disposable diapers. These were the diapers I knew and assumed were the only option for an on-the-go family like ours. I slowly noticed other families with new babies and trends among them. Not all babies were wearing regular disposable diapers, but something fluffy with cool designs. When I asked my wife what this strange contraption was, she explained it as a cloth diaper. This was not the cloth diaper I had seen in old television shows and cartoons, it …show more content…
I needed to be sure these new cloth diapers were as safe as disposable. Disposable diapers are highly absorbent, some brands boasting that they can be worn for 12 hours without needing changed. While this is convenient during the night and possibly cost-effective for low-income families, there is a hidden danger. Leaving a newborn in a diaper more than 2 to 3 hours can cause horrible rashes, burns, and skin infections. Some studies suggest the chemicals and products used to make the diaper can affect babies ' reproductive systems and even contribute to cancer. Cloth diapers are largely considered the natural choice. Fabrics and materials used can be made of synthetic or natural fibers. Materials such as cotton and bamboo are good choices for babies with allergies and skin conditions like eczema. The gentler material can reduce the chance of rash, but without proper cleaning and regular changing, the rash can still occur. (Real Diaper …show more content…
I knew that like all disposable products, onetime use diapers are wasteful. One article mentions, “Disposable diapers are made from materials that don’t biodegrade well. Materials like paper, plastic and the absorptive gel, sodium polyacrylate will remain in landfills for generations.” (BabyCenter) Not only does this contribute to pollution, but the fecal matter often left in the diapers rather than flushed is a health hazard. Cloth diapers were long considered to be more environmentally friendly. Though there are still costs and usages associated with the manufacturing process, the diapers themselves are reused instead of trashed. This means less waste in landfills, and because the diapers are cleaned out properly, they are not contributing to hazardous waste. There are different concerns of using cloth diapers, though. The electricity and water used to clean and dry the diapers must be factored in, especially during a drought. Koerner explains that a single load of diapers uses 0.95 kilowatt hours and 12 gallons of water, and this can add up quickly (Koerner). The alternative is to hand wash and sun-dry the diapers saving on both the water and

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