Oct 20 2008
Reusable Diapers - Not So Green
Here’s an interesting news tidbit. Coming from the Times UK - a government report on reusable diapers found that considering the laundering requirements of reusable diapers (”nappies” in UK speak) they actually create a larger carbon footprint than their disposable counterparts.
Yes, unless the nappies are line dried only and reused through several children, the process of laundering them leads to a dramatic increase of their impact on the environment. In a fascinating addition to the findings, the government apparently decided to “not publicize” the results of the study in the hopes to avoid drawing negative attention to the reusable industry.
Reusable diapers are most certainly a lifestyle choice (one that requires way more dedication than I would ever even try to have) and I have a hard time believing that anyone devoted enough to use them would be deterred by this one study. The article also didn’t define the exact parameters of the study so who knows the whole story but I have to wonder if using those diapers to dry my car has the same environmental impact?
ha ha I could never bring myself to use disposable diapers. I can’t imaging trying to clean her poop out of them. BLAH! I’ll stick to the throw away ones. =)
interesting.
I never thought about the place you send them to. I know there has been a boom in the diaper service industry.
Now, my mom used them when I was a kid. She cleaned them herself though.
I still would think that it would be better than filling the landfills with diapers, but I think eventually, disposable diapers will be more green too.
I don’t know if I could do the reusables…I might try, but I don’t know…for a society that has become so about immediate results, it might not be an easy transition.
~Kelly
http://www.30somethingandsearching.today.com/