IMPORTANT CLOTH DIAPER FACTS
Why choose cloth diapers? There are so many reasons.
Cloth diapers are soft against your baby’s skin. Cloth diapers are
also free of the many chemicals contained in disposable diapers. Our common
sense tells us that cloth diapers are the ultimate in recycling because they
are used again and again, not entering a landfill until they are nothing
but rags. Of course, some people want more than this common sense approach,
they want facts. Here are a few well-documented facts
(Source:
RealDiaperAssociation.org) to help inform your choice.
Health
Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product
of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed
by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned
in most countries, but not the U.S.(1)
Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) (a toxic pollutant known to
cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.(2)
Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer
(SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had
been used in super-absorbancy tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed
that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome.(3)
In May 2000, the Archives of Disease in Childhood published research showing
that scrotal temperature is increased in boys wearing disposable diapers, and
that prolonged use of disposable diapers will blunt or completely abolish the
physiological testicular cooling mechanism important for normal spermatogenesis.(18)
Environment
In 1988, over 18 billion diapers were sold and consumed in the United States
that year.(4) Based on Real Diaper Association calculations (listed below under "Cost:
National Costs"), they estimate that 27.4 billion disposable diapers are
consumed every year in the U.S.(13)
The instructions on a disposable diaper package advice that all fecal matter
should be deposited in the toilet before discarding, yet less than one half
of one percent of all waste from single-use diapers goes into the sewage system.(4)
Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.(4)
In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable
diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned
into rags.(4)
No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it
is estimated to be about 250-500 years, long after your children, grandchildren
and great, great, great grandchildren will be gone.(5)(
Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills,
and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers,
disposables make up 50% of household waste.-5)
Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste and use twenty times
more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp.(3)
The manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water
wasted than cloth.(-3)
Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of
chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.(6)
In 1991, an attempt towards recycling disposable diapers was made in the city
of Seattle, involving 800 families, 30 day care centers, a hospital and a Seattle-based
recycler for a period of one year. The conclusion made by Procter & Gamble
was that recycling disposable diapers was not an economically feasible task
on any scale.(17)
Dryness and Rash
The most common reason for diaper rash is excessive moisture against the skin.(19)
Newborns should be changed every hour and older babies every 3-4 hours, no
matter what kind of diaper they are wearing.(20)
At least half of all babies will exhibit rash at least once during their diapering
years.(20)
Diaper rash was almost unheard of before the use of rubber or plastic pants
in the 1940s.(21)
There is no significant difference between cloth and disposables when it comes
to diaper rash.(22)
There are many reasons for rash, such as food allergies, yeast infections,
skin sensitivity, chafing, and chemical irritation. Diaper rash can result
from the introduction of new foods in older babies. Some foods raise the frequency
of bowel movements which also can irritate. Changes in a breastfeeding mother's
diet may alter the baby's stool, causing rash.(19)
Cost
We estimate that each baby will need about 6,000 diapers -7(during the first
two years of life.(8) The following estimates are based on prices in San
Francisco, California.
Disposables. For these calculations, let's assume that a family
needs about 60 diapers a week. In the San Francisco Bay area, disposable
diapers cost roughly 23¢ per store-brand diaper and 28¢ for name-brand. This
averages to 25.5¢ per diaper. Thus the average child will cost
about $1,600 to diaper for two years in disposable diapers, or about $66
a month. (9)
Diaper Services. Subscribing to a diaper services costs between
$13 and $17 each week depending on how many diapers a family decides to order. Let's
assume the family spends roughly $15 a week for 60 diapers a week. This
equals $780 annually and averages to $65 a month. Over the course of
two years, the family will spend about $1500 per baby, roughly the same cost
as disposables, depending on what type of covers are purchased and what type
of wipes are used. If one adds in the cost of disposable wipes for
either diapering system, the costs increase.
Cloth Diapers. For cloth diapering, each family will probably
need about 6 dozen diapers. (10) The cost of cloth diapering can vary
considerably, from as low as $300 for a basic set-up of prefolds and covers11,
to $1000 or more for organic cotton fitted diapers and wool covers. Despite
this large price range, it should be possible to buy a generous mix of prefolds
and diaper covers for about $300, most of which will probably last for two
children. This means the cost of cloth diapering is about one tenth the
cost of disposables, (12) and you can spend even less by using found objects
(old towels & T-shirts).
National Costs. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were
about 19 million children under four in 2000. We could probably assume
that there are about 9.5 million children under two and therefore in diapers
at any one time. Based on previous studies, we estimate that 5-10%
of babies wear cloth diapers at least part time. We will average these
figures to 7.5% of babies in cloth diapers and 92.5% in disposables. This
means that about 8.8 million babies in the U.S. are using 27.4 billion disposable
diapers every year. (13)
Based on these calculations, if we multiply the 8.8 million babies in disposable
diapers by an average cost of $800 a year, we find that Americans spend about
7 billion dollars on disposable diapers every year. If every one of those
families switched to home-laundered cloth prefold diapers, they would save
more than $6 billion14, enough to feed about 2.5 million American children
for an entire year. (15) Coincidentally, the 2002 U.S. Census reveals
that 2.3 million children under 6 live in poverty. (16)
Tax Savings. In some specific circumstances, when cloth diapers
have been prescribed for the treatment of a disease, tax savings may be available
through the use of flexible spending accounts and medical expense deductions.
This could represent a 10% (35% savings on the cost of diapers depending on
the family's tax rate. (23)
Sources:
(1) Allsopp, Michelle. Achieving Zero Dioxin: An emergency strategy
for dioxin elimination. September 1994. Greenpeace.
http://archive.greenpeace.org/toxics/reports/azd/azd.html
(2) Greenpeace. New Tests Confirm TBT Poison in Procter & Gamble's
Pampers: Greenpeace Demands World-Wide Ban of Organotins in All Products. 15
May 2000.
http://archive.greenpeace.org/pressreleases/toxics/2000may152.html
(3) Armstrong, Liz and Adrienne Scott
Whitewash:
Exposing the Health and Environmental Dangers of Women's Sanitary Products
and Disposable Diapers, What You Can Do About It. 1993. HarperCollins.
(4) Lehrburger, Carl. 1988. Diapers in the Waste Stream: A review of waste
management and public policy issues. 1988. Sheffield, MA: self-published.
(5) Link, Ann. Disposable nappies: a case study in waste prevention. April
2003. Women's Environmental Network.
(6) Lehrburger, C., J. Mullen and C.V. Jones. 1991. Diapers: Environmental
Impacts and Lifecycle Analysis. Philadelphia, PA: Report to The National
Association of Diaper Services (NADS).
(7) Average of 8 changes per day over 2 years (8x365x2=5,840)
(8) We are using 2 as the average age of transition from diapers to toilet use.
(9) 60x52x$0.255=$795.60, or $800. $800x2years=$1,600. $1,600÷24=$66
per month.
(10) 3 dozen each in two sizes accommodates most babies
(11) 6 dozen prefolds at an average of $2.16 each and 16 covers at $8.50 each - (72x$2.16)+(12x$8.50)=$292)
(12) $300÷2 children = $150 per child. Compare to $1,600 per child
for disposables
(13) 8.8 million x 60 x 52 = 27.4 billion
(14) Cloth diapering is 90% cheaper. 90% of $7 billion is $6.3 billion.
(15) Food costs calculated at $2,475 per child per year or $6.78 per child per
day for 3 meals and 2 snacks. Costs based on U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food and Nutrition Service, Child and Adult Care Food Program. Figures
current as of July 2003. http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Care/CACFP/cacfpfaqs.htm
(16) Percent of People in Poverty by Definition of Income and Selected Characteristics:
2002 (Revised). http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/poverty02/r&dtable5.html
(17) Stone, Janis and Sternweis, Laura. Consumer Choice ((Diaper Dilemma. Iowa
Sate University (University Extension. ID.# 1401. 1994.
http://www.rockwellcollins.com/daycare/pdf/pm1401.pdf
(18) C-J Partsch, M Aukamp, W G Sippell Scrotal temperature is increased
in disposable plastic lined nappies. Division of Paediatric Endocrinology,
Department of Paediatrics, Christian-Albrechts(University of Kiel, Schwanenweg
20, D-24105 Kiel, Germany. Arch Dis Child 2000;83:364-368.
Click
here or go to http://adc.bmjjournals.com and
search by the title of the study.
(19) Boiko, S. 1997. Diapers and diaper rashes. February 1, 1997. Dermatology
Nursing.
(20) Shin, H.T. 2005. Diaper dermatitis that does not quit. Dermatologic
Therapy, 18: 124-135.
(21) Weiner, F. 1979. The relationship of diapers to diaper rashes in the
one-month-old infant. The Journal of Pediatrics, 95: 422-424.
(22) Stein, H. 1982. Incidence of diaper rash when using cloth and disposable
diapers The Journal of Pediatrics, 101: 721-723.
(23) Internal Revenue Service. December 9, 2008. Publication 502, Medical and
Dental Expenses
Main Info Source:
www.RealDiaperAssociation.org
Are you interested in joining RDA? To read more or to begin the membership process,
please
click
here.
|
