K-Ble-H

Why Cloth?

The case for using cloth diapers is a strong one from the standpoint of your child’s health and wellbeing. Disturbing research findings link the impacts of chemicals commonly found in disposable diapers - dioxin, sodium polyacrylate (a super absorbent polymer, SAP), and tributyl tin (TBT) - to irregular hormone function, and compromised cardiovascular and respiratory health (e.g. Allison 1989, Allsop 1994, Armstrong & Whitewash 1993). Further, researchers have found increased scrotal temperature amongst baby’s who wear disposable diapers, which has been linked to sterility later in life (Partsch et al. 2000).

‘Disposable diapers’ (in quotes, because while they are disposable from our homes, in landfills they can take more than 100 years to degrade) generate more than 7.6 billion pounds of waste in the United States alone. Because disposable diapers remain in tact for so many years, they also preserve their contents - feces - that, when left in landfills for decades, could potentially poison groundwater.

Oil is the raw material necessary to produce polyethylene plastic - the base material for the vast majority of disposable diapers. 1 cup of crude oil is required just to manufacture the plastic for 1 disposable diaper. Some have projected that - assuming that a baby wears a diaper for about 30 months - 1,538 liters of oil are needed only for the production of disposable diapers needed to diaper one child. This, of course, has troubling implications with regards to climate change because of the carbon required to extract, process, and transport oil, and the conflicts that are fuelled by our societies ‘need’ for fast access to fossil fuels.

There are even more day-to-day benefits of cloth diapering. While there is significant discussion over the precise figures, research has found that cloth diapers are less likely to cause diaper rash (e.g. Weiner 1979). We can certainly attest to this from our brief experience using disposable diapers while travelling - our poor little one’s bum was so irritated! Further, research has demonstrated that children who use cloth diapers tend to potty-train more quickly than children who use disposables because they feel the wetness as soon as they pee.

Many other diaper services and activists have written compelling pieces. If you’re interested in reading further, we would love to direct you here (for more on the specifics of studies of toxins present in disposable diapers, for example).


References

Allison, Cathy.  “Disposable Diapers: Potential Health Hazards.,” referring to: Hicks, R et al.  “Characterization of toxicity involving hemorrhage and cardiovascular failure, caused by parenteral administration of a soluble polyacrylate in the rat,” Journal of Applied Toxicology  1989 June; 9(3): 191-8.

Allsopp, Michelle. “Achieving Zero Dioxin: An emergency strategy for dioxin elimination.” September 1994. Greenpeace.

Armstrong, Liz and Adrienne Scott Whitewash: Exposing the Health and Environmental Dangers of Women’s Sanitary Products and Disposable Diapers, What You Can Do About It. 1993. Harper Collins.

Partsch, C-J, M Aukamp, W G Sippell. "Scrotal temperature is increased in disposable plastic lined nappies." Division of Paediatric Endocrinology, Department of Paediatrics, Christian-Albrechts- University of Kiel, Schwanenweg 20, D-24105 Kiel, Germany. Arch Dis Child 2000; 83: 364-368.

Weiner, F. (1979). "The relationship of diapers to diaper rashes in the one-month-old infant." The Journal of Pediatrics, 95: 422-424.

Wilson, P.A. et al. (1990). "Diaper Performance: Maintenance of Healthy Skin. Pediatric Dermatology" 7: 179-184.