Benefits of Cloth Diapers

Cloth diapers have been making a huge comeback from their decline in the late sixties when disposable diapers first started to make their appearance. Cloth diapers have many advantages over disposables, including the fact that they are not filling our landfills!

There are three main benefits of cloth diapers:

1. Cloth diapers are better for your babies skin. There are little or no chemicals in cloth diapers and that means fewer chemicals coming in contact with your babies sensitive skin and leading to diaper rash. Organic diapers have even less impact on babies skin and their manufacture is better for the environment.

2. Cloth diapers are better for the environment. As mentioned above, the manufacturing process of organic diapers has little impact on our environment. In addition, cloth diapers are not filling up our landfills at an alarming rate like disposables are. According to a 2003 study published by the women's environmental network, disposable diapers are the third largest consumer item in landfills and make up about 4 % of all solid waste. No one knows exactly how long it takes for the average disposable diaper to decompose, but it has been estimated at anywhere from 250 to 500 years. That means that the diapers you throw away today will still exist when your great, great, great grandchildren are born. Astounding as these numbers may seem they are higher still in 2009.

3. Cloth diapers are less expensive than their disposable counterparts. Thirty cloth diapers will cost approximately $600 if you purchase the better ones (Pocket diapers, organic diapers and the all in one style of diaper). This is enough cloth diapers to last for the entire time that your baby requires them. On the other hand, to purchase enough disposable diapers to last you through the time needed for your baby would cost over $3000.! It's a huge difference and well worth the savings – especially in these difficult economic times. The savings would be even more noticed by purchasing simple prefolded diapers at a cost of under $100 for the usage time of your baby you will have all the cloth diapers and covers you need.

Your choice of cloth diapers will be measured through the years – both in financial savings and environmental savings. It's vitally important that we all realize the negative impact disposable diapers have had on our environment. Yes, they are a part of the "Women's Lib" movement and a rightful part at that. However, the time has come for a new sense of responsibility to our home and our babies.