How to Take a 'Green' Approach to Diapers

Depending who you ask, disposable diapers take up as much as 20 percent of all landfill space, but constantly washing cloth diapers can use up valuable water and energy resources. Following these steps will help you find a truly "green" middle ground without breaking your back or the bank--and you might even sleep a little easier.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Cloth Diapers
• Chlorine-free disposable diapers

1. Buy at least a dozen durable and absorbent cloth diapers. There are a variety of types made of everything from cotton to hemp.
2. Select your favorite brand of chlorine-free disposable diapers. Although they're more expensive, this green alternative doesn't add polluting chemicals like dioxins to our landfills. They're also generally more absorbent and better at wicking away moisture than conventional disposables.
3. Buy a bulk lot of the chlorine-free disposables from an online retailer or warehouse store to save cash and trips to the store.
4. Use cloth diapers on baby during the day. This saves landfill space over the all-disposable approach, and it's much easier to deal with the extra effort and laundry involved during daylight hours.
5. When it's time to put baby to bed, switch to the chlorine-free disposables. Most brands are much better at wicking moisture away from baby's skin than both cloth and conventional disposables. This means more and better sleep for both parents and baby.
6. Splitting the 'doody duty' between cloth and green disposables will help keep both the local landfill and aquifer from being overloaded. Feel free to adjust the routine to what works best for the whole family.

Tips & Warnings

• Chlorine-free wipes and a 'dunk bucket' are must-have accessories. The wipes can also be bought in bulk.
• Adjust the balance between cloth and disposables to your regional environment. If you live in a particularly drought-prone area, going with more disposables (and less water use) might be best.