According to a segment featured on The Early Show, disposable diapers are the #3 item taking up space in landfills and 50 million are added every day. The long term problem is that they are petroleum based and made of plastic so they take about 500 years to break down. The short term problem is that babies make a lot of poo and nobody wants to be putting that in their washing machine! So what's a mama to do?
To the rescue, gDiapers are eco-friendly diapers that have a reusable outer layer with a biodegradable liner that can be shed and tossed or flushed, guilt-free, once it is soiled. The outer layer comes in multiple colors and styles so your cub can be fashionable on his/her playdates.
Seventh Generation also offers an alternative to the traditional plastic diaper. Their non-toxic, chlorine-free diapers are becoming readily available in grocery and drug stores and can easily be found in the baby aisle of Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and health food stores.
Happy Heinys and Swaddlebees are other earth friendly alternatives. They offer a variety of diaper styles and materials to suit your needs. They sure look cozy and are probably very healthy. The downside? They aren't disposable. You have to wash them.
There are numerous options out there for eco-conscious moms and their diapering needs. You can sample some by placing an order here
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The Diaper Dilemma
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8:33 AM
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3 comments:
After checking out the alternatives you discuss in your blog, it seems to me like the gDiapers are the most sensible, easy to use, and cost-friendly. I'm going to order the sample pack...I'll let you know how they compare to the Pampers we've been using!
Interesting topic, Beth. Speaking as someone who had every intention of using the most environmentally responsible diapers possible but wound up swaddling my kids in Cruisers, I found that many of the eco-diapers just weren't as good as the eternal landfill ones.
We don't mind paying extra for organic, local, or healthy food products. After all, the quality of these products is usually commensurate with their higher costs and we feel better about our spending power to boot. But I can't accept paying more for an inferior product, even a diaper. With hope, companies will be able to improve quality to the point that the purchase makes sense.
Dana- Thanks for the comment. Please do let me know what you think. I'd try the gdiapers if I had a baby.
Mike- Thanks for the comment. I'm hoping manufacturers do improve the quality (and cost) of organic and biodegradable products.
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