Are cloth diapers or disposable diapers better for the environment?
Most U.S. families — by some estimates, up to 95% — use disposable diapers. But there are some parents who are convinced that cloth diapers are more Earth-friendly. Experts, though, say the answer isn’t clear-cut. Research has suggested that both disposable and cloth diapers affect the environment negatively — just in different ways. For example, disposable diapers require more raw materials to manufacture. And they generate more landfill solid waste that can take an extremely long time to degrade. But cloth diapers use up large amounts of electricity and water for washing and drying. Plus, commercial diaper service delivery trucks consume fuel and create air pollution. Nebraska pediatrician Laura A. Jana, MD, FAAP, agrees that there’s no clear winner in the diaper debate. She researched the controversy while co-writing the American Academy of Pediatrics book, Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality. “When we were writing the book, we tried to get to the bottom of [the
