interesting article on recycling diapers

[mudder17]

My sister has been doing a ton of research on the amount of space disposable diapers actually take up in landfills because they're still trying to weigh the cost of sposies vs. cloth (they live in CA). Anyway, she came across an article about a 9month program/study done in Santa Clarita:

http://www.knowaste.com/sanclarprog.htm

Of note is that they said disposable diapers take up only 1.2% of their landfills. Of course, they also pointed out that 60% of the diaper waste was feces and urine. That CAN'T be good for the environment. I'm just thinking that every time it rains that stuff is leaching into the ground water.... It's too bad they didn't go further with the study. Politics, huh?

I guess right now they're weighing the environmental cost of disposables vs. doing the laundry in an industrial sized coin-op machine. Those of you who use coin op machines, do you do two cycles per load?

Thanks!


Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 14 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!

[NYSarah]

We have once or twice had to use a laundromat and one cycle was fine.

My mother is a big CD advocate herself and if she was here would point out that a major environmental issue is that if you CD and do your own laundry, you can cut out all chlorine use in both production and laundering of the diapers, which has a huge impact on the environment. I'm sure your sister has come across that info but just thought I'd throw that out there.

Our concerns were not really environmental (as in my mom's case) but really about our DD's health -- we didn't want chlorine, absorbent gels, perfumes etc all over her for 2-3 years. Maybe all that stuff doesn't hurt, but we figure why take the chance when CDing is easy (for us) and cheaper to boot?

[mudder17]

That's actually a good point about what's used in the production of diapers. What I'd really like to find is an article/study that lists the chemicals used in the manufacturing of disposable diapers and the
materials/chemicals used in the manufacturing and washing of cloth diapers. I'm still willing to bet that the chemicals involved in
disposables are more harmful in the long run. But it would be good to
find some solid numbers.

For my DD, who is quite prone to rashes, I would hate to see what being in an unbreathable plastic diaper would do to her!


Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 14 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!