Once upon a time, no one had ever heard of disposable diapers.  Strange as it may seem, babies were born and raised for hundreds of years without them.  Cloth diapers were the norm.  My first children, born in the early sixties, never had their skin touched by the numerous chemicals that go into producing disposable diapers.  Stop! Don’t use disposable plastic diapers.

When disposable diapers first came out, they were considered a luxury.  But it didn’t take long before they took over the baby world.  I’ll have to admit that my third child, born in 1970, never wore a cloth diaper.  No more laundry days spent folding diapers!  Who wouldn’t love that?

Since that time, landfills all over the world are jammed with plastic diapers that will be impacting the environment for hundreds of years to come. It’s been estimated that it takes 500 years for a plastic diaper to decompose in a landfill.  Politicians are quick to criticize fossil fuels and demand that we respect the environment with clean energy.  And yet , I’ve never once heard a politician propose that we do away with plastic disposable diapers.  Think of all the votes they would lose!

Not for profit diaper banks are available in many communities.  Well meaning charities  are praised for helping low income women keep their babies clean and dry.  Disposable diapers are considered a necessity, not a luxury.  Consequently, discarded dirty  plastic diapers are everywhere– along the highways, in parking lots, public restroom, and beaches.

You can now purchase  biodegradable  bamboo disposable diapers but they’re way too pricey for the average consumer.  Wouldn’t it be better if diaper banks issued bamboo cloth diapers? They’re earth friendly,   without skin irritating chemicals.  If  we banned plastic diapers just as some communities have banned plastic bags,  landfills would stop filling up with dirty diapers.  Money would be saved to be spent on other necessities.

According to a recently published article in Mint Intuit ” Disposables came in at $800 for the year, while reusables cost $584 – a savings of 27 percent. That savings climbs drastically – to 60 percent – when you look at the second year of your child’s life. Cloth diapers require scant extra investment, while disposables keep hacking at your wallet.”

Inflation is rapidly eating away at our purchasing power.  Stop! Don’t use disposable diapers.  They are more expensive than cloth.