With growing awareness of environmental issues there are those green minded parents who are asking questions regarding the health and ecological benefits of reusable cloth diapers over disposables.

Today’s reusable diapers come in many different styles mostly with Velcro-style closures that eliminate the need for safely pins.

There are a number of new options to the old hard-to-fasten smelly cloth diapers. Many of these have an absorbent liner, made ideally from organic cotton or hemp fleece, with a waterproof cover.

Diaper laundering services do still exist for those who do not wish to deal with soiled laundry.

Rarely are the implications of disposable diapers considered. According to The Green Guide 95% of US families use disposable diapers to the extent of as many as 8000 per child. The result is that 3.5 tons of them clog landfills each year.

There is also the matter of untreated urine and faecal matter that can easily contaminate surrounding ground water.  Pathogens in the waste can be spread by animals and insects. Bleaching the diapers gives rise to the chemical dioxin which is potentially harmful to the factory workers and if trace amounts show up in the diapers the babies skin becomes exposed to dangerous carcinogen.

With all this as well as the fact that most brands of disposables are made from petroleum-derived plastic and wood fibre requiring 250 000 trees to supply America’s requirements, environmentally conscientious families are looking for better options.