Are Cloth Diapers More Ecological?

Cloth diapers today have little to do with the rags that many of us were put on. They have gained in comfort, aesthetics, in efficiency. But, if we talk about respect for the environment, are cloth diapers more ecological than disposable ones?

Some studies indicate no, that the ecological cost would be similar in both diapers. Diapers per year, cut trees, washing machines, and biodegradation time are some of the terms used to differentiate one diaper from another, and I assure you that with very different figures.

Among cloth diaper users (or rather among their parents) the economic benefits of these diapers are often praised. But doing the math, you find that, in the same way, there are disposable diapers with very different prices depending on the brand, cloth diapers also have variable prices depending on the system, quality, and accessories.

Therefore, depending on the diapers you make the calculations with (along with other variables such as the baby’s age), it may not be as cheap to use washable diapers or as expensive to use disposable ones. What does seem is that the initial outlay is going to be higher in the case of cloth diapers.

Regarding the dermatological benefits of cloth diapers, because in principle for sensitive skin they will be much less allergenic than conventional diapers that use more chemical products in their preparation. On the other hand, we could say that these, the disposable ones, absorb much more, so the contact of the feces with the baby’s skin is less, which results in the health of his skin. Nor should we forget that leaks tend to be less frequent in conventional diapers.

But we now want to focus on one of the issues most demanded by washable diapers, which are often called ecological diapers, that is, environmentally friendly: the environmental benefits of cloth diapers.

Diapers And Environment

On the other hand, some studies indicate that the ecological cost of cloth diapers are similar. In the United Kingdom, a three-year, publicly funded, official investigation was carried out to compare cloth and disposable diapers, concluding that the ecological effects of cloth and disposable diapers were the same.

Government health officials pointed out that the greenhouse gases generated by the disposables were comparable to the electricity needed to clean and dry the latter. For this reason, diaper recycling was proposed as a more ecological alternative.

Other studies have confirmed that the use of disposable diapers as a substrate for certain crops is efficient (diapers were used exclusively with liquid waste), another way of minimizing the environmental impact of conventional diapers.

Without knowing about ozone emissions, in principle and from what I have been able to read, washable diapers require many more washing machines and at a higher temperature (they do not recommend cold washing), with the extra expense that this entails in energy and water. Pre-washes or extra rinses (by hand or by machine) are widely used to eliminate feces, so the greater expense (I repeat, in water and energy) is evident.

On the other hand, if we talk about the fact that, for example, in Mexico City, there are some 570 daily tons of waste produced by disposable diapers, it is undeniable that this fact affects the problem of environmental pollution.

How Long It Takes For Diapers To Degrade

Then we have the question of whether it costs more to make cloth or cellulose diapers, the energy that manufacturers spend, the trees that are needed, and the time it takes for the diaper to biodegrade, but there are no agreements on this either, as we pointed out in the introduction.

For example, regarding the biodegradation of disposable diapers, there are such disparate figures that they speak of between 500 years (how is it possible to know this is only a few decades ago there were diapers with current characteristics?) to 15 years, not much more than a cloth diaper Cellulosic materials are potentially degradable, although recalcitrant, that is, in natural environments, their destruction requires tens or even hundreds of years according to researchers who are looking for diaper recycling.

In any case, whether decades or hundreds of years, it is always preferable not to wrap the diaper in a plastic bag, because this prevents it from aerating and the aerobic bacteria that facilitate biodegradability from accessing its interior.

The degradation time of cotton cloth diapers (excluding plastics or metals that may be present in some models) is less than 12 months. And, above all, the great advantage in this aspect goes beyond the temporary and focuses on quantity: there are much fewer washable diapers in the environment to biodegrade.

In short, in some ways, it is not clear that cloth diapers are more ecological than disposable ones, very few controlled studies talk about the ecological cost of one and the other (other things are the calculations that each one of us can make with a good eye). bucket).

The ecological impacts of one can be more harmful than the other depending on the area. To a large extent, it is not possible to compare equivalently or draw definitive conclusions in this regard. The clearest thing, in my opinion: is that production costs in all senses are amortized more in washable diapers since they are not single-use. And that the costs of washing are higher than those of fabric.

For all these reasons, I believe that in this washable-disposable diaper dilemma, more than for the environment, we must opt for what works best for our baby or for what we are willing to pay, which, as we see, does not have a universal answer either. A personal and informed decision, after all, obviously does not usually leave aside other variables, such as comfort.