We May Be Going Green...

...In our own way. Ava and I are trying out cloth diapers. I purchased three Bum Genius 3.0 and I love them. They are a one size diaper, which means that they grow with the baby from birth to potty trained. They have velcro tabs and snaps that let them become smaller or bigger. I wash them (poop and all) and dry them like any other load. There are a few restrictions- like using or not using certain ointments/creams, and certain detergents, but otherwise they are VERY user friendly. Nothing like the old days of prefolds and diaper pins. :) Here are a couple of Ava showing off the cloth diaper. Aren't they SUPER cute?! (She has a pink, yellow and green.) http://www.bumgenius.com/one-size.php

There are several things that I have been reading that have led me to want to try cloth diapering. Here are a few:

Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S.

Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.

Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years, long after your children, grandchildren and great, great, great grandchildren will be gone. (This one really got me!!)

Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.

Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste and use twenty times more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp. Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR. (WOW!!)

Diaper rash was almost unheard of before the use of rubber or plastic pants in the 1940s.