green is universal

Is There Really an Eco-Friendly Diaper?

Dear Mr. Green,

I'm a new mom and I'm trying to be eco-minded in the choices I make for my baby. I use 7th generation diapers, but are they all they say they are? Environmentally speaking, what are the best diapers and diaper wipes?

Thanks,
Mommy to Imani

Dear New Mom Needing the "Scoop on Poop,"

Being a new parent brings with it a host of difficult questions to answer for you and your new baby beyond merely what's green, so good for you that you're also thinking about the world your bundle-of-joy is going to inherit.

With parenthood comes a laundry list of stuff to get or find for the new, little one, as well. You'll need to consider the purchase of a baby swing, a bassinet, bumper pads, a changing table, a crib, a stylish and practical diaper bag, a high chair, an infant car seat, a playmat, a playpen, receiving blankets, a rocking chair for yourself, sleepers, for those long trips around the block to get some much needed sunshine and fresh air - a stroller, towels and, yes - diapers and diaper wipes, too.

When it comes to the environment, diapering is debatably the most important choice parents need to make. Sometimes dressed in diapers all day and all night for approximately the first two years of their existence, the average baby goes through 5,000 diapers before being potty-trained. Because 95 percent of these diaper changes are disposable diapers, most of the estimated 18 billion diapers used each year end up in landfills. With a lack of exposure to air and sun to biodegrade even the "green" or "green-er" disposable diapers, many can sit in landfills for years and years and years. That poop will be around for your kid's kids to inherit!

Chlorine-free Seventh Generation disposable diapers are less of a strain on the environment and are kinder to a baby's delicate skin than the average commercially manufactured disposables. But the most I can say about them is that they are "less-bad."

Disposable or not, no dirty diaper is impact-free. Both disposable and cloth diapers are crappy (pardon the pun.) for the environment. (Raising a baby is hard enough. But add to it the pressures of being told that you and your newborn are environmentally unfriendly!)

While it is true that the wastewater from washing cloth diapers is kinder to the environment (especially if you use lemon juice instead of chlorine bleach), laundering a cloth diaper over the course of its lifetime consumes up to six times the amount of water used to manufacture a single-use diaper. However, while the manufaturing of disposable diapers uses less water, we still need to consider the mire of toxic stuff left in wastewater from the manufacturing of those disposable diapers. So there is no easy solution for this problem.

In my opinion, cloth diapers seem to be the best way to avoid adding even more waste to our already overburdened landfills. But then again the laundering of cloth diapers also appear to waste lots of water.

Do we continue to waste our water supply to launder our baby's reusable diapers, or instead, do we continue to fill our landfills with the disposable variety? (What to do, what to do? There are downsides to both and it's still a tossup as to which might actually be the worst.)

Sure, there are volumes of studies comparing the environmental impact of cloth versus disposable diapers. But a definitive answer? It depends on who is asked. Oddly, I don't have an answer for you. Instead I'll suggest you pick and choose when and where to do your bit to save the planet...and that includes when and when not to use disposable diapers and wipes.

The only Solomonic advice I can give you is to split the difference--not the baby, just the nappies! For instance, when at home, you might choose to only use cloth diapers and wipes, and save the "convenience" of disposable diapers for when you are away from home.

about mr. green

From re-gifting, re-cycling, to natural cleaning products for your home, Mr. Green has all of your ecotiquette answers. Our Mr. Green (aka. Michael De Jong), is the author of "CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing." He lives in Jersey City with his partner (Richard,) dog (Jack,) and three goldfish (Phil, Jill and Gill) all of which benefit from his natural cleaning techniques. De Jong, who cleaned apartments in New York City while working as a fine artist, began researching and inventing many of the recipes in "CLEAN" and is continually experimenting with safe, effective and eco-friendly alternatives. Raised in the mid-West by an immigrant family that valued the environment and re-cycled before it was fashionable, his quest for non-toxic solutions comes naturally to him. He is currently writing a companion series of "CLEAN" books dealing with such topics as the body, first aid, organization, and food, as well as posting a weekly Blog on www.thedailygreen.com. "CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing" can be purchased at Barnes & Noble stores across the country or on-line at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com.

Click here to send him a question and he'll put in the elbow grease to scrub out the answers!