Today’s society is a disposable one. Almost every product on the market these days is disposable. Quite often the disposable alternative is more convenient, but when it comes to a question of convenience we really need to ask ourselves if it’s worth the cost to the world around us. Things that may be convenient now, but harm the environment, are only causing messes that we will have to clean up eventually anyways. As a society we need to throw away the disposable trend and be more conscience as consumers. We can start doing this at the very beginning; with our children and more specifically with our children’s diapers.

When it comes to diapers there are many options to choose from. You can use single use disposable diapers, a diaper service which will pick up dirty re-usable diapers and drop off clean ones for you, or you can use re-usable diapers which you launder yourself at home. There are also disposable liners which you can purchase for the re-usable cloth diapers which make clean-up easier. Whatever you decide, you should keep in mind the environmental impact of your choice.

Both cloth diapers and disposable diapers can be equally effective if used properly. Most disposable diapers are equipped to hold multiple urinations while cloth diapers should be changed more frequently to avoid skin irritation. With both types of diapers skin rash rarely occurs with frequent changing and it is important to be aware of this. The disposable diapers are often considered more convenient then cloth diapers, but when you factor in the fact that you have to change the garbage every day with disposable diapers it almost evens out in terms of convenience. The cloth diapers also have to option of having them picked up and sent out to be cleaned which makes them just as convenient as the disposable variety.

Cost is a major factor in any decision. Disposable diapers are significantly more expensive than the home laundered or laundry service options because you have to buy a much greater volume. While diaper services can get expensive most are fairly reasonably priced and are more convenient that laundering at home or changing the garbage every day. Laundering the re-usable diapers at home are much more cost effective than the other two options and with the use of disposable diaper liners this option can be almost as easy as having someone else do it for you.

Cost is an important thing to consider while making decisions but we must also consider the cost to the environment which our children will inherit. Using cloth diapers which you launder at home is the most environmentally friendly option. There are less materials going into the production because you do not throw them out and buy more every time you use them. There is less production involved in making them which means less electricity and water used. There is less waste than the disposable variety and we aren’t introducing harmful plastics and other materials into the landfills. With the diapers services there is the factor of the travel involved in delivery and pickup. Washing the diapers at home eliminates that carbon footprint.

While re-usable, home laundered diapers are best for the environment there is still an impact as with everything we do. There is no way to completely eliminate the effect we have on the environment because in the end we are still consumers. As long as we are aware of this and we consume in the most responsible ways we can, we may be able to take our impact to the very minimum. The children wearing diapers today are the ones who are going have to deal with our environmental choices we make. We want our children to have bright and happy futures which means we need to provide them with the healthiest environment possible in which to thrive.