With pregnancy (and ultimately parenthood) comes many choices. From bassinets to strollers, all this new equipment is uncharted territory for me. One of the biggest decisions to make before baby arrives is whether to choose cloth diapers or disposables. Now don’t stop reading just because you don’t have kids, want kids or know someone with kids. I know that the subject of diapering does not apply to everyone in a practical sense, but guess what? We were all in diapers once.

Canadians use 1.5 billion disposable diapers each year. One child alone dirties up to 6,000 diapers in the first three years of its life. Astounding isn’t it? Just think of the mountains of garbage that our little offspring are contributing to landfills across the country.

If you were a parent in the 1960s or before, your babies probably wore cloth diapers — there was no dilemma. Post 1960, when disposables became readily available, albeit as a costly alternative, they were viewed as the convenient solution for working mothers. By 1990 the popularity and quality of disposables rapidly increased leaving only 10 per cent of babies in North America wearing cloth. Incidentally, the occurrence of diaper rash also went up dramatically with the newly-engineered nappies.

There are two things that disposables and cloth have in common: they both get dirty and they both must be changed. But that’s where the similaries end. 

Cloth are more comfortable for babies because natural fibers (like cotton) allow air to circulate freely. They are also re-usable, which offers considerable benefits to your budget and the environment. Outfitting one child in disposables costs approximately $2,500 to $3,000 over a three year period, while investing in cloth will cost you $500 to $1,000 up front, and the supplies can service more than one child. Cloth diapers have also come a long way since I was wearing them in the 1970s; innovative styles and snaps have replaced old school safety pins and rubber pants! 

Disposable diapers are made of non-woven fabrics and a mixture of cellulose pulp and super absorbent polymers for maximized absorbency. The layers are enveloped in a polyethylene film or a nonwoven/film composite that prevents leaking. They can be conveniently thrown away after a single use and can be worn soiled much longer than a cloth diaper. Natural resources are depleted to manufacture disposables, and babies’ bottoms are exposed to synthetic fibers, chemicals, dioxins and perfumes. Sounds kind of nasty doesn’t it?

To confuse parents further, there are also “green” disposable diapers on the shelves. This alternative can cleanse the conscience (a little) of those parents that simply can’t commit to cloth. “Green” disposables use chlorine-free materials and create less waste and use fewer resources than other disposables. They do still end up in the garbage though.

Soiled diapers — the cloth kind — do create more laundry; we’re talking a couple of extra loads per week, which takes up a little more of parents’ time. As for water consumption, in the summer most people will use more water to keep lawns and gardens green than it takes to wash diapers. Using energy-efficient appliances will reduce overall energy and water consumption, and to minimize energy consumption further, cloth diapers can be dried on a clothesline — now that’s enviro! 

The bottom line is it’s up to parents to choose. All diapers, cloth or disposable, have some environmental impact. For me, there really is no dilemma, I intend to use cloth because I simply can’t imagine throwing thousands of diapers into the garbage. Ultimately I’d love to do what’s best for the baby, the budget and the environment, and with a growing child, I might as well get used to doing a little more laundry!

Nicole Ward is the Environmental Stewardship Coordinator for the Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada.