Eco-diaper duty
Published: Wed, Oct. 24, 2007 12:00AM
Modified Wed, Oct. 24, 2007 01:38AM
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closeDisposable diapers can be a major expense as well as a major load on the landfill. Over 30 months (the average amount of time before potty training), a baby goes through about 6,700 diapers, costing nearly $2,400.
Bleach-free Seventh Generation diapers compare favorably in cost with other premium brands without contributing to the production of dioxins and other chemicals. Amazon.com includes Seventh Generation diapers in its automatic delivery service, giving customers a 15 percent discount over its already below-retail price.
But the most environmentally friendly choice is arguably also the cheapest: cloth diapers. Jenny McGruther of Crested Butte, Colo., used a combination of cloth diapering and "elimination communication" -- which relies on reading the signals of even the youngest infants -- with her now potty-trained 2-year-old son. By helping babies and toddlers do their business over a bowl or the toilet, the system reduces the number of diaper changes needed.
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The total amount she and her husband, a stay-at-home-dad, spent diapering their son: $117. Washing and drying cloth diapers, however, do add to utility bills.
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