By Susie Kim •
August 21, 2008
Like this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay up to date.
When I started cloth diapering, I didn’t realize how many types of cloth diapers were out there. It really does take time to build up your stash and find diapers that work for your baby. Some are stretchier on the thighs which is good for chunky monkeys like mine. Then there are some that’s uber stylish that it’s pretty sought after by almost all cloth diapering mothers. One of the ones I reach for first is my Sustainable Babyish Cloth Diapers from Erin Nau. It’s no surprise that Sustainable Babyish has taken over cloth diapering site, Diaper Swappers by storm; Erin used to be a fashion designer working in New York City before she became Work at Home Mom (WAHM) and diaper connoisseur.
What makes Sustainable Babyish more wonderful is that it’s GREEN! How is it green? Erin uses Eco-friendly textile such as hemp and Organic cotton. Hemp is great because it is a renewable resource and gentler to the planet. This wonder fiber is also ultra absorbent. Sustainable Babyish takes it a step further and uses Organic cotton which uses sustainable practices in cotton farming, a definite plus. Erin also utilizes fair trade labor by employing WAHMS in the United States. Her diapers, especially her soakers are sold out within minutes of being stocked. It’s incredible how a mother can change the world one diaper at a time.
Two years later than my daughter, my son has almost completed his toilet learning! It has been different with my boy, as we have resorted to the bare bum method. Feeling the cool breeze on his bottom seems to be the only way he can remember to hold it in until he reaches the toilet. This works while we are home, but he still had accidents in underwear and clothes. Since we are down to one diaper a day just at night, I’ve abandoned the cloth diapers for Seventh Generation’s Chlorine-Free Diapers.
I’ve always professed that every baby should wear cloth diapers; however, with my son wearing one diaper in 24 hours, it takes a long time to make a diaper load of laundry. After a week, these cloth diapers get very rank, and I don’t really want to put them in my washing machine or waste energy and water to wash them more often. Thus, I’ve resorted to Seventh Generation’s Chlorine-Free Diapers, as it is too late in the game (I don’t plan to have any more children) to invest in gDiapers. I do feel a slight pang of guilt using a landfill, aka disposable, diaper, but I rationalize six years of cloth diapering two kids has earned me the right to one disposable diaper a day.
The advances in cloth diapering over the last few years, not only in availability of handy diaper services, but also the quality and simple use of the diapers themselves, have converted many a disposable diaper user to “greener” ways. But while many cloth diaper enthusiasts and flushable diaper users have strong opinions about which cloth diapers work the best, I’ve yet to see commentary on reusable swim diapers.
If you’re already a cloth diaper user, than the concept of using a resuable swim diaper is probably not a far stretch. But if you use disposables or ’sposies, then you might be glad to know that reusable swim diapers are a fantastic budget conscious choice, particularly since disposable swim diapers are super expensive.
Truth be told, disposable swim diapers are more for easing our minds and less about containing bodily fluids and bowel movements. Basically, they just don’t contain all the chemicals that regular disposables do, therefore keeping them trim and less saggy when they hit water. But, they certainly don’t hold urine well. And, while they might hold a bowel movement for a good five minutes, you do not want your kid swimming around with a swim diaper full of poop.
By Susie Kim •
June 7, 2008
After my disaster with the Eco-friendly gdiapers; I decided to transition into cloth diapering. I ordered some Organic cotton cloth diapers before my little one was born; however, it wasn’t enough to go into full time cloth diapering. Buying cloths can be a costly investment in the beginning, (You will eventually save thousands of dollars compared to ’sposies especially if you have more than one baby) but now with Diaper Swappers; Cloth Diaper Exchange Forum; you can mitigate the initial expense.
I came across the Diaper Swappers when I was looking for a used Psling. It was interesting to find a community of cloth diapering moms who traded diapers (along with baby carriers) with each other. There’s a rating system sort of like Ebay, and there’s also a Wall of Shame of banned users. (could be anything from too many negatives to having too many different user names) The forum moderators seem to have a good system in place to protect the cloth diapering, baby wearing mothers to have a safe and friendly place to exchange their unwanted items for something they need. I really dig it.
By Alan Greene, M.D.
www.drgreene.com
As a father and pediatrician, I’ve changed many diapers—enough to teach me that diapers are a daily reminder that as humans we deplete resources as we consume, and we make messes with our waste.
Those landfill diapers that are so easily tossed into the trash are clearly a major ecological issue. But what about the energy, water, and often chlorine involved in laundering cloth diapers? Comparing the environmental impact of different types of diapers has been the subject of a number of studies—with differing results often linked to the vested interests of those behind the study.
The largest and most objective study to date was carried out by the Environment Agency, the public body responsible for protecting the environment in England and Wales. The panel compared disposable diapers to home-laundered cloth diapers and commercially laundered cotton diapers in terms of global warming, ozone depletion, smog formation, depletion of nonrenewable resources, water pollution, acidification, human toxicity, and land pollution. The study did not include what I call hybrid diapers—the reusable diapers equipped with flushable, biodegradable liners.
By mcmilker •
January 7, 2008
Infuriating actions by large corporations are often the impetus for new business ventures, including green ones.
When UK mom, Sarah Bennett, potty-trained her two toddlers she decided to sell her pre-owned cloth diapers on E-Bay. She was surprised and annoyed to find that E-bay had changed their policy, refusing to allow their sale and reclassifying them as “adult material”. (Go figure.)
Turning to classified ads, she found them frustrating as many ads were not removed after sale, she had little information about the seller and arranging for pick up and payment was time consuming. And so, she started an auction site for used diapers from her kitchen table. And was an immediate success.
This post comes courtesy of Lighter Footstep, a website dedicated to helping people live lighter, more sustainable lives…one step at a time.
PORCHLIGHT:
A Family’s Weekly Guide to Reducing Your Impact on the Planet at Home
Written by Sonya K. Hess
_____________________________________________________________
Child-Raising: Three ways to lighten your impact on the planet AND economize
Children have become a fad: grocery store tabloids map celebrity-babies’ every move, note [...]
I will be writing a biweekly piece on GNM Parents as part of a trade with Green Options. Please visit GNM Parents and read A Little Greener: The Benefits of Cloth Diapers. While you are there, take a look around GNM Parents, “a multi-media channel featuring blogs, podcasts and video, aiming to provide a full and rich content experience for parents at all stages of parenthood. Our goal [...]
