So Tricia and Steven have bravely decided that they are going to try cloth diapering at home. Tricia and I went to a cloth diapering info meeting a couple of weeks ago, and it was recommended that you try out a couple of different types of cloth diapers to see what works best. She also registered for more biodegradable disposable diapers, as the daycare requires disposable. There are some health concerns with the standard disposable diaper, mostly chlorine and gel fillings, but really it's the environmental waste factor that influenced their decision.
Some Diaper Statistics:
- It takes about 500 years for a standard disposable diaper to biodegrade
- 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the US (about 3.4 million tons of waste)
- According to cloth diapering advocates, children that are cloth diapered are usually potty trained by age 2, due to their higher awareness of bathroom function.
- Cloth diapering usually ends up costing less than $300 from birth to age 2, disposable diapering may run up to $3,000. Even with cost of water and detergent, and use of energy for laundering it is estimated that cloth diapering saves $1,800 for the first child, and even more for the second, because you already have the diapers.
Interesting Links:
I used cloth diapers with my children, now 16 and 19, and I wouldn't have done it any other way. Great for the child and the environment. Way to go Tricia and Steven. (and Liz)
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