20th Anniversary Catalog - Babyworks

Some Thoughts on the “Diaper Debate”
In cloth diapers, your baby will enjoy the natural, healthful comfort of a real garment made of real fabric…
rather than a garment made of plastic and paper, laced with chemicals and perfumes (“wearable
garbage”?).
Health Benefits – Babies have less diaper rash with cotton diapers because of their breathability (this air
circulation means cooler temperatures within the diaper); the absence of chemical additives that can cause
skin irritation; and more frequent changes. (Ever removed a throwaway diaper that felt dry but weighed a
ton, full of “gelled” urine? This illusion of dryness often causes throwaway diapers to be left on overly long.)
Writers and researchers raise concerns about the wisdom of keeping a baby’s delicate skin in continuous contact with the chemical
additives; about the chemical vapors emitted from the diapers (toluene, xylene and styrene, among others) which were shown to be
respiratory irritants in studies involving rodents, and how the incidence of childhood asthma has skyrocketed since 1981; about the
highly toxic product dioxin which is a by-product in the paper bleaching process and which is harmful to the environment; and about
possible negative effects on male fertility due to the high temperatures in the diapers. Several customers have mentioned finding
chemical crystals stuck to their baby’s skin, prompting their switch to cloth.
Questions continue to be raised, and the answers remain somewhere in the future.
Environmental Benefits – The environmental price of throwaway convenience is high. By using cloth diapers,
you’ll help to save some of the 40 million trees felled each year just to make disposable diapers. You will also save one
ton of garbage containing untreated human waste from being buried in the earth – this is per baby. Once in the
landfill, conservative estimates are that these diapers will take 500 years to break down. Other estimates suggest
it will take far longer, due to the general absence of oxygen and sunlight needed for decomposition. The main
concern raised about cloth diapers is the water and energy it takes to launder them. Curiously,
this concern is never raised about any other consumer product (clothing, dishes, etc.), nor is it
ever suggested that other disposable products be used in areas of water shortage. Washing diapers is a minute
fraction of the overall laundering that is done; you can minimize its impact even further by choosing non-polluting, biodegradable
laundry products (a good practice for all laundering). Concerned about conventional cotton growing practices? You can buy organic.
Economic Benefits – Using cloth diapers can save you a bundle of money; see page 35 for a detailed cost analysis. These savings can
run into the thousands.
Just as rinsing and washing dishes has become second nature to virtually all of us (rather than the “ease” of exclusively using and
discarding disposable dishware), cloth diapering will soon become second nature to you, too. We’d like to see disposables returned to
the position in the market in which they were originally placed…a product to be used sparingly, not exclusively.
The Bottom Line
Cloth diapers simply feel better to our touch, to our hearts, to our babies, and to our Earth. No
garbage, no chemicals. They are a pure, natural and safe diapering choice. And they’re by far the most
economical choice. Yes, they take a little more effort than tossing something into the trash can. But
doesn’t anything in life that’s the least bit worthwhile?
Call toll free 800-422-2910 or visit www.babyworks.com
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