What ultimately does more harm to the environment, disposable or cloth diapers?

Question

As we all know, disposables create non-biodegradable waste. But I'm finding that cloth diapers require lots and lots of hot water for their very frequent loads of laundry. Hot water not only uses up our diminishing water supply, but also energy to heat the water. Thoughts?

Answer 1

I believe disposable diapers are worst for the environment because they usually end up in a landfill. Yes, we use energy to heat our water and to wash those stinky used cloths, but at least it is recyclable. In turn, we are actually saving energy and recycling because we can use cloth diapers as rags to wash things like your car or dry something. It takes time for those disposable diapers to break down, plus the f***s is being absorbed by the ground which can end up in our water sources. At least when you wash something, it's going to the septic.

Answer 2

what, you never heard of cold water detergent?   All the soap companies are making it.   For more than just "p**p" removal.

Answer 3

disposables because they just sit in landfills forever not becoming anything or helping anything

Answer 4

Water is used in the manufacture of disposables too, and it's contaminated with chlorine.    A lot of energy is required to put cases of Huggies on trucks and drive them to Wal-Mart too, and think of the packaging!  Then, all those p**p filled plastic diapers sit in the landfill until rainwater eventually rinses the p**p into our groundwater.

You're right.  Even cloth diapers aren't perfect, environmentally speaking.  Infant potty training (elimination communication) is much greener, but cloth is a step in the right direction for our disposable obsessed culture.

Plus, disposables are ugly and they look really scratchy.  Cloth is soft and cute!

Eyes is right about not needing hot water.  I use hot water on one of my rinses, but I know I could get by without it.

Answer 5

due to over population.

Answer 6

Hi I agree with Rob and disposables diapers also don't brake down over time the dump. Cloth diapers can be cleaned and reused for other things after your little ones no longer need them.

Answer 7

Disposable ones are still worse.  There's alot of energy used to clean cloth diapers with hot water, but it's still less than the energy used to process the materials that make disposable diapers.

Answer 8

Disposables. The best would be cloth bamboo diapers. The bamboo cloth is renewable, and doesn't take as much energy or water to produce as cotton or wool.(It's really SOFT too!) Also, if you have a low energy and water usage washing machine at home, that helps reduce energy usage. Also, if you live somewhere warm and sunny, hanging cloth diapers to dry on the line can kill bacteria in them, save energy for the dryer, and naturally bleaches them too!