How many trees went to disposable diapers? (Photos.com)
In 1955, 100 percent of American babies wore cotton diapers. In 1991, it was only 10 percent. [1] A recent estimate claims that 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the United States, resulting in a possible 3.4 million tons of additional solid waste in landfills. [2] Now, 3 percent of waste in landfills in parts of the United States consists of disposable diapers. [3]
It takes over 3.5 billion gallons of oil [4], 82,000 tons of plastic, and 1.3 million tons of wood pulp (250,000 trees) to manufacture 18 million disposable diapers. [5] After only one single use, they are thrown away and sent to landfills, where they take up to 500 years to decompose. [5]
This translates into a very serious environmental problem for our planet, since disposable diapers are being used extensively. Attempts at recycling and composting disposable diapers have not been successful and are not cost-effective. [4] A sound alternative is using cloth diapers. They can be reused hundreds of times and are biodegradable.
Everyone disposes of diapers with the regular household trash, but hardly anyone is aware that this is an illegal practice in most states. The laws are not enforced when it comes to disposable diapers. [5]
Disposing of fecal matter in the regular trash can potentially spread diseases and create public health hazards. [6] Carl Lehrburger explains in his article on diapers “Out of Sight, Out of Mind,” “leachate containing viruses from human feces (including live vaccines from routine childhood immunizations) can leak into the earth and pollute underground water supplies. … These viruses could include hepatitis A, Norwalk and Rota virus.”
With cloth diapers, the waste is directly flushed down into the sewage, making them a much cleaner option for our environment.
Up until 1991, all the research on the environmental impact of throwaway diapers had been funded solely by the manufacturers themselves. [4] Much of this misleading information has been used in marketing campaigns to “greenwash” disposables as being good for the environment and better for infant health. [7]
Two landmark studies in the 90s analyzed the environmental impacts of both types of diapers. One, sponsored by Proctor and Gamble, concluded that “laundering cloth diapers produces nearly 10 times the water pollution created in manufacturing throwaways.” [8] This study was criticized for its lack of independent data and reliance on information provided by P&G and other companies interested in promoting single-use diapers. [8]
The other study, sponsored by the National Association of Diaper Services (NADS), the most detailed study to date, found that cloth had the clear environmental advantage over disposables in manufacturing and use. “They found that throwaway diapers, compared with reusables, produce seven times more solid waste when discarded and three times more waste in the manufacturing process.” [4]
Another study concluded that disposables “use 20 times more raw materials, three times more energy, twice as much water, and generate 60 times more waste.” [4]
Some claim cloth diapers produce waste in water and energy. The truth is, it takes no more than 50 to 70 gallons of water every three days to wash cloth diapers, which amounts to flushing the toilet 5 to 7 times a day. [4]
A more legitimate concern is the situation that arises in big metropolitan areas where the lack of laundry facilities in apartments and availability of diaper services complicate diaper washing for many families. For these cases, more eco-friendly alternatives to the regular disposable diapers are available. To learn more about these options go to: grist.org/advice/products/2008/10/23/index.html?SOURCE=rss.
Common sense says washing cloth diapers is safer for the environment than simply throwing plastic diapers into the garbage after a single use. Tracy Fernandez Rysavy, in “Solving the Diaper Dilemma,” quotes Paula DeVore: “If the environmental impact of disposables really is the same as that of cloth diapers, then why haven’t comparable studies been done for other products? Why aren’t we using more paper [plastic] plates and cups instead of washing our reusable dishes, for example?” [9]
As individuals, we can help make a difference by using cloth diapers at home. But the greatest help for reducing the amounts of waste produced by single-use diapers going into landfills each year will come from educating the public and passing new legislation favoring the use of cloth diapers.
Sources:
1. Becker, Kim “Why Use Cloth Diapers?” Nov. 2003 thebabymarketplace.com/whyuseclothdiapers.pdf
2. Diapers Go Green by Pamela Paul http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1702357,00.html
3. McConnell, Jane. “The Diaper Debate: Ten Years Later.” dy-dee.com Oct. 9, 2008. dy-dee.com/Catalog_/html/The_Diaper_Debate_/the_diaper_debate.html
4. “The Politics of Diapers: A Timeline of Recovered History.” Mothering.com Issue 116, Jan.–Feb. 2003. Nov. 3, 2008 mothering.com/articles/new_baby/diapers/politics.html
5. Meadows, Donella H. “The Great Disposable Diaper Debate.” www.sustainer.org The Donella Meadows Archive: Voice of a Global Citizen Aug. 5, 2008 sustainer.org/dhm_archive/index.php?display_article=vn321diapersed
6. Lehrburger, Carl. “Out of Sight, Out of Mind.” Pure Vision Technology, Inc. Whole Earth Review, Fall 1988. Oct. 2, 2008 libaware.economads.com/ddiapermyth.php
7. Gainor, Margaret. “Trust vs. Watermelons.” Times-Standard Online. Oct. 5, 2008. Oct. 9, 2008 times-standard.com/ci_10643650?source=rss
8. Arthur D. Little, Inc., “Disposable Versus Reusable Diapers: Health, Environmental and Economic Comparisons. (Cited from 4)
9. Rysavy, Tracy Fernandez. “Solving the Diaper Dilemma.” The DiaperHyena.com Nov. 5, 2008 thediaperhyena.com/diaperdilemma.htm
