Cloth diaper service
Blend environmental responsibility with convenience and you have the birth of diaper services. They are delivery services that drop off fresh cloth diapers at parents' doorsteps and pick up soiled nappies, allowing parents to use cloth diapers without having to deal with the messy laundry themselves.
Diaper services come with the same downfalls as washing cloth diapers at home -- machine emissions pollute our air and harsh cleaning detergents pollute our water. There's additional air pollution from large delivery trucks that distribute and pick up the diapers.
But diaper services come with their green benefits too. They can consume less washing energy because they operate in bulk -- it's like one person running their washing machine with one large load rather than 25 people using their machines for smaller loads. If you sign up for a diaper service, be sure to ask about its environmentally conscious washing practices.
Disposable
When considering disposable diapers, the obvious environmental concern lies in the waste disposal. According to Environment Canada, there are more than 4 million diapers being discarded in Canada every day, each one taking hundreds of year to decompose. Another problem with disposable diapers results from human error concerning improper disposal. All solid waste should be emptied in the toilet before a diaper is put in the garbage. In fact, it is illegal to put human feces in our landfills. Improper disposal poses a number of health risks that can range from virus outbreaks to ground contamination.
Other, perhaps less obvious, environmental factors include pollution caused by the methods and materials used in manufacturing disposable diapers. As well, there are harmful chemicals contained in disposable diapers. The B.C. Medical Association warns of the dangers of dioxins.
But keep in mind that disposable diapers have come a long way over the years. There are now greener brands to choose from, such as Tushies and Seventh Generation, and in some areas, you can recycle (check out smallplanet, a diaper recycling service) or compost (learn more about Toronto's green bin program) your disposable diapers.
More resources
Environment Canada offers more on the diaper debate in issue 45 of its online newsmagazine, EnviroZine. You'll find a brief history of the diaper, more comparisons of cloth versus disposable, and some additional facts to help you make the best decision for your family.
Read Basic infant care and Discussion points for parents-to-be for more on diapering.
Chat about parenting with other readers in our online forums!
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