It’s true that for many of us, diapers are not critical aspect of life. Parents of a young child address a dithering need for a few short years. But the impact of disposal diapers affects each of us and is a long-lasting trouble.
It is currently estimated that 10,000 tons of disposal diapers are tossed into landfills each day. Each of these 10,000 diapers takes 500 years to decompose at best. Now we talk about that what is the healthier option for our children, is it is disposable or it is cloth diaper? First, we will talk about cloth diapers its benefits and its environmental impact.
CLOTH DIAPERS: It is the healthier option for children. In ancient times mostly cloth diapers were often used. They were considered to be cheap at that time. They are washable so they can be used over 100 times. So, at that time, cloth diapers were very common.
BENEFITS OF CLOTH DIAPERS: There are many benefits of cloth diaper like they saved a significant amount of money. Cloth diapers do not contain harmful chemicals and because of less chemicals, it reduces the risk of diaper rash. Cloth diapers also reduce the carbon footprint as well. They are reusable so they also have the less landfill waste. With cloth diapers, a child can get easy potty training and cloth diapers are far more comfortable than the disposable diapers. Cloth diapers have multiple uses like they become an excellent dust cloths and rugs after a baby grows out of them.
DISADVANTAGES OF CLOTH DIAPERS: We know that if anything has advantages then it has disadvantages as well. Cloth diapers are not convenient when you are travelling. Cloth diapers can increase the utility bills as well. If you are going to wash cloth diapers at home it will affect your electricity bill and your water bills, because washing of diapers needs more water and electricity on daily basis.
EFFECT OF CLOTH DIAPERS ON ENVIRONMENT: Cloth diapers also have impact on the environment. The impact of cloth nappies is mostly a result of detergent, water and energy used to rinse wash and dry them, but overall they tend to be the more environmentally friendly if they are line dried and washed in full loads, and in this way the washing of cloth nappies causes a lot of water wastage. They produce toxic waste that can impact human health, because of electricity, detergent and softener used to wash them.
DISPOSABLE DIAPERS: They were introduced in late 1950 and were regarded as an important step effective towards emancipation among mothers No more long hours of washing and bleaching terries. However, just because they have such an advantage means that these products are all good. They have severe disadvantages, as well. Let us look at both sides of the coin regarding disposable diapers.
ADVANTAGES OF DISPOSABLE DIAPERS: They are more convenient to use then cloth diapers. Aside for being very common and available on every store they are now available at online stores as well. Another element of their convenience is that they can be thrown away. Cloth diapers first they must be soaked and then washed. This make a huge difference.
The other advantage is that they allow a quick change, the changing method does not need a lot of time to change, it can be done in few minutes or may be second. They can be hypoallergenic that is safe for children.
DISADVANTAGES OF DISPOSABLE DIAPERS:
They also have disadvantages which are as follows:
Diapers are very expensive when you consider a baby can use almost 7 to 8 diapers a day on average then it is very heavy on the parent’s pocketbook. Also, the prices depend upon the diaper’s quality and types which can cause confusion among parents that which one is best for their child.
They can cause skin rashes due to prolonged use of wet diapers. As we all know, moisture can be a perfect breeding ground for bacteria which cause skin irritations etc.
Due to their prolonged usage the potty training can be delayed.
EFFECTS OF DISPOSABLE DIAPERS ON ENVIRONMENT: They produce an incredible amount of environmental waste. They seem to be more convenient then cloth diapers, but their environmental impact is terrifying. Disposable diapers take up a sizeable portion of non-recyclable landfills but also contain many harmful chemicals that are subsequently dispersed into the environment. The manufacturing of disposable diapers has a larger carbon footprint. They have a greatest impact on ozone depletion, thanks to CFCs released as they decompose in landfills.
Overall, you should wisely weigh the advantages and disadvantages of both diapers before you decide on using them for your baby. By doing so you will be able to ensure the best for your bottom line and for your babies.
