Not Your Grandma’s Cloth Diapers!

1. Not Your Grandma’sCloth Diapers! Jennifer Waldon ENMT 365

2. IntroductionCloth Diaper Misconceptions • Rubber pants, safety pins, bucket of soaking diapers • “That is way too much work for a busy mom!” • “Disposables are just so convenient.”

3. Environmental Impact: Disposables • Take up about 2% of landfill space • 18 billion diapers • Or 3.4 million tons of waste • 60 times more solid waste • Take 500 years to break down • Can build 4,610 Washington Monuments a year • Potentially spread disease • 20 times more raw materials • 300 lbs wood pulp • 50 lbs petroleum • 20 lbs chlorine • 2.3 times more water • Secondary impacts • Plastic and cardboard packaging • Pollutant emissions to produce and deliver

4. Components of a Disposable Diaper • Polypropylene: • Added to liner to give cloth-like appearance • Made of plastic • Composite Fiber • Commonly pine wood pulp • Polyacrylate • Improves absorption • Becomes a gel when wet • Polyethylene • Thin liner on outside to prevent leaking • Decreases breathability Contain: Dioxin: known carcinogen TBT: toxic; causes hormonal problems Polyacrylate: taken out of tampons, caused Toxic Shock Syndrome

5. Social Impact: Disposables • Produced with potentially harmful chemicals • Skin irritant • Respiratory irritant • Longer time to potty train • Possible fertility issues in boys

6. Economical Impact: Disposables • More expensive than cloth • Americans spend $7 billion a year • $1600 per child for two years • $66 a month

7. Environmental Impact: Cloth • Produced once and used multiple times before lifetime is over. • Used 50-100 times • Fewer resources needed • Less waste in landfill • Disintegrate in 1 to six months • Makes diapering a cycle • Reduce global warming impact • By 40 % if hand-me-down • By 24 % alone • Live more sustainably

8. Social Impacts: Cloth • Gaining popularity again • Sales are increasing • $200 million a year market • Don’t irritate asthmatics like disposables. • Earlier potty training • 6 months earlier

9. Who else is using them? • Celebrities • Sarah Jessica Parker • Jennifer Garner • Jessica Alba • Gwen Stefani • Halle Berry • Friends • Acquaintances • Cloth diaper community anywhere and everywhere

10. Economical Impacts: Cloth • Less expensive over the life of the child • Collectively save $6 billion dollars a year • Cost about $300 • Costs one tenth disposables • Cloth diapered baby not in diapers as long, so less wear on diapers • Additional savings

11. Potential Downsides: Cloth • Requires more work for busy mom • Could require more energy and water for cleaning • Larger environmental impact for cleaning • More upfront cost BUT… • Busy? Use a cloth diaper service • Decrease laundering expense • Use energy efficient washer and dryer • One mom experienced only a $3 increase in electric bill • Opt to line dry • Choose renewable energy supplier • Look for reduced cost in long-run

12. Getting Started • Choose a diaper • Purchase items • Prep • Changing • Folding • Laundering

13. Choose a Diaper • If you want the convenience of disposables • Use pocket diapers: cover and insert washed after one use • Use all-in-one diaper: no separating insert from cover

14. Choose a Diaper (cont.) • If you want a more economical diaper • Use prefolds with diaper cover • Traditional diaper • Choose covers that are one size fits all • Snaps adjust size • No need to purchase different sizes • Snap or Velcro closure

15. Purchase Items • Diapers (about 18-20) • Covers (about six for prefolds and 20 for pocket) • Snappi’s, or other fasteners if desired • Laundry bin • 2 laundry bags • Wet bag for storing dirty diapers on the go • Laundry detergent (free and clear) • Normal detergents inhibit absorbency • For recommendations see: • http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html • http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm • http://www.bummis.com/media/detergent-information.pdf • Wipes (can use washcloths or burp cloths) and holder (disposable wipe container) • Sprayer to moisten cloth wipes (squirt bottle)

16. Prep • Wash everything! • Removes natural oils from fabrics • Prefolds and liners • Wash 5 to 7 times to make absorbent • Hot water, and dry in between washes • Polyester fabrics and covers • Wash once separately from natural fiber items • Line dry covers • May tumble dry inserts

17. Changing • Prefolds • Remove prefold and place in laundry bag • Wipe baby bum with moistened wipe, place in laundry bag • Fold clean prefold and place in cover • All-in-one or pocket • For pocket diapers remove insert from cover and place both in laundry bag • Place all-in-one in laundry bag • Wipe baby bum with moistened wipe, place in laundry bag • Place new diaper on baby • Don’t use diaper rash cream • No need to soak diapers • Only have to remove solid bowel movements

18. Folding • Newspaper • Angel wing

19. Folding (cont.) • Bikini Twist • Jelly roll

20. Laundering • Wash diapers and laundry bag every 2 to 3 days • Two loads • Cold removes residue • Hot with extra rinse • Small amount of detergent in each • Dry diapers, covers and bags • Don’t use fabric softeners or other additives • Sanitize with bleach once a month • Remove stains –place in sun

21. ConclusionThe Truth about Cloth Diapers • Simplicity of use • Reduce impacts • Environmental • Social • Economical • Address disadvantages of disposables • Gaining popularity

22. References • The American Women’s Club of Hamburg (2000, November). Hidden dangers of disposable diapers. Retrieved from http://www.awchamburg.org/health-and-home-articles/childrens-family-health/26-hidden-dangers-of-disposable-diapers.html • Anderson, R. C., & Anderson, J. H. (1999). Acute Respiratory Effects of Diaper Emissions. Archives Of Environmental Health, 54(5), 353-358. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0c8dd455-e42f-4e89-9a7f-8ede2a8c1b44%40sessionmgr11&vid=7&hid=1 • Barlow, T. (2010, April 22). 10 old-time products that make green and healthy sense today. Daily Finance. Retrieved from http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/04/22/10-old-time-products-that-make-green-and-healthy-sense-todayhold/ • Booroi (2008). How to use Booroi cloth nappies. Retrieved from http://www.booroi.com.au/how_to_use • Cotton Babies, Inc. ( 2007). Cloth diapers – Just the basics. Retrieved from http://www.cottonbabies.com/clothdiapers.php#detergent • Diffin, E. (2009, April 30). Cloth diapers benefit baby health and the environment, advocates say. Retrieved from http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=127835 • Green Mountain Diapers (2012). Using prefold diapers. Retrieved from http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/howto.htm

23. References (cont.) • Just Add Cloth (2012, January 2). The jelly roll fold with prefolds and flats. Retrieved from http://www.justaddcloth.com/2012/01/the-jelly-roll-fold-with-prefolds-and-flats/ • MSNBC.com (2009, April 21). Frugal moms use cloth diapers to save money. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30330852/ns/business-retail/t/frugal-moms-use-cloth-diapers-save-money/#.T3IFuXi_GK0 • Onion, A. (2005, May 26). “The diaper debate: Are disposables as green as cloth?” ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=789465&page=1#.T24sP3i_GK0 • People Magazine (2009, October 20). Celebs love Smartipantsreuseable cloth diapers. Retrieved from http://celebritybabies.people.com/2009/10/20/smartipants-reusable-cloth-diapers/ • Real Diaper Association (2012). Real diaper facts. Retrieved from http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php • Richer Investment Diaper Consulting Services (2011). What are the components of a typical disposable diaper? Retrieved from http://disposablediaper.net/faq/what-are-the-components-of-a-typical-disposable-diaper/ • Rodriguez, K. (2012, February 27). Personal communication. • Sutton, M. (1991). Baby Bottoms and Environmental Conundrums: Disposable Diapers and the Pediatrician. Pediatrics, 88(2), 386. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0c8dd455-e42f-4e89-9a7f-8ede2a8c1b44%40sessionmgr11&vid=7&hid=1