DISPOSABLE
We are currently a 100% disposable diaper household. This does cause some eco-guilt among the adults in the house, but we console ourselves slightly by using Seventh Generation.
Pros:
- Easy easy easy
- Can use at day care (our day care required disposable diapers)
- Rarely if ever leak
- Not too expensive, especially if you buy using Amazon Subscribe & Save
- So much waste!!
PARTIALLY DISPOSABLE
When the little man was born, we used G-Diapers. These are partially disposable, partially cloth diapers. We liked them, but stopped using them for two main reasons - 1) could not use them at day care, and 2) as he grew older, they tended to leak unless you changed every hour or two. They definitely did not work over night, even with two liners.
Pros:
- Much less waste, and all the waste is flushed down the toilet
- Cute cotton covers looked great with just a t-shirt
- DO NOT USE the flushing option if you live in an old house or have touchy plumbing (you can just throw out the liners)
- I suspect that if everyone used G-Diapers, the sewage treatment plant would not be happy, therefore it's probably a sustainable option only if not too many people use it (which is kind of dumb)
- Initial investment required, and disposable liners only available at certain stores (eg Whole Foods) or online
We have not used cloth yet, but I am definitely considering going to part-time cloth diaper usage. This is an idea I got from my neighbor. It's less intimidating than full-time cloth diaper usage, but still reduces waste. Now that the little man's bowels are more predictable, we could use the cloth during the times he's only likely to pee, or times when we need to change his diaper, but it's only a short time until his bath or something.
I can't really speak to the pros and cons of this since we haven't done it yet. I can say that the initial investment for these is quite high, too, but I believe you'd save money in the long run. Here are some good websites that I will consult before choosing any cloth diapers.
- Getting Started with Cloth Diapering by Inhabitots
- Finding the Right Cloth Diaper for You by Inbalitots
- National Association of Diaper Services (find diaper service in your state)
2 comments:
Katy,
Thank you thank you for your explanation of G-diapers and other alternatives. I am so appreciative to hear another mom's real experience with these! I had Alex in disposable Pampers for 3 years and feel so much guilt for adding to the landfills in such bulk! I just looked into those Seventh Generation ones and if we have a problem with diaper rash this time, that will be the first way I turn! I was kind of looking for a greener alternative with baby #2 and may consider doing cloth or something part-time, good idea.
Living in a "green" neighborhood, almost all the moms here use them. I risk serious public flogging, but I use disposables. I know my limitations--laundry is a SERIOUS weakness for me--and I just couldn't do it--so we care for the environment in other ways.
My friend, Trisha, has a web-based cloth diaper business. She has a great website with lots of good info and even videos to see the different types of diapers. I also know she would be more than happy to answer any questions (I'm sure her e-mail is on her website anywhere)She's based in Tucson, but ships anywhere (with great shipping deals)
Check her out!
www.tentinypiggies.com
sorry for the "spam" :)
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