environmental impact of cloth vs disposable diapers
Hi. I chose to post this under the category of parenting & family since I imagine more people will have actual experience with the topic of diapers. So, I'll get on with it.
I'm an incontinent woman and I recently switched to wearing cloth diapers when home to help reduce the impact on dumping plastics in landfills (and cut back on costs of disposables)
I'm starting to doubt that cloth diapers are any better for the environment... basically because of how much energy goes into running the washer and dryer each week. I wonder even if economically it makes sense if I'm paying a higher electric bill just to clean the cloth diapers. Also keep in mind this is on a different scale than baby diapers - not only am I filling up the landfill more with larger adult-sized diapers - but cloth diapers for adults take FOREVER! to dry in the dryer, 3 times i have to run it, with just 2 days worth of diapers. *sigh*
See my frustration?
it seems like it comes down to either I contribute to the landfill, or I contribute to my carbon footprint.
Maybe cloth makes sense for babies since the diapers are smaller, there's just to much bulk/mass for the adult diapers to wash and dry without electricity. I've tried soaking in buckets, hand washing with bar soap and a wash board, but that requires my physical energy to a point that it also isn't worth it.
If I had a wash line outside that may help, but I'm an apartment dweller. Plus can you imagine the neighbors looking at 6 pairs of adult sized cloth diapers blowing in the breeze? LOL! I mean, I'm not ashamed of my incontinence, most anyone who is close to me knows, but I just don't want to put up a billboard either. :p
OK anyway, any ideas, which is least impactful on the environment, disposables in landfill, or cloth with the required energy to wash & dry them ?
I'm an incontinent woman and I recently switched to wearing cloth diapers when home to help reduce the impact on dumping plastics in landfills (and cut back on costs of disposables)
I'm starting to doubt that cloth diapers are any better for the environment... basically because of how much energy goes into running the washer and dryer each week. I wonder even if economically it makes sense if I'm paying a higher electric bill just to clean the cloth diapers. Also keep in mind this is on a different scale than baby diapers - not only am I filling up the landfill more with larger adult-sized diapers - but cloth diapers for adults take FOREVER! to dry in the dryer, 3 times i have to run it, with just 2 days worth of diapers. *sigh*
See my frustration?
it seems like it comes down to either I contribute to the landfill, or I contribute to my carbon footprint.
Maybe cloth makes sense for babies since the diapers are smaller, there's just to much bulk/mass for the adult diapers to wash and dry without electricity. I've tried soaking in buckets, hand washing with bar soap and a wash board, but that requires my physical energy to a point that it also isn't worth it.
If I had a wash line outside that may help, but I'm an apartment dweller. Plus can you imagine the neighbors looking at 6 pairs of adult sized cloth diapers blowing in the breeze? LOL! I mean, I'm not ashamed of my incontinence, most anyone who is close to me knows, but I just don't want to put up a billboard either. :p
OK anyway, any ideas, which is least impactful on the environment, disposables in landfill, or cloth with the required energy to wash & dry them ?
46-50, F
