| Cloth vs disposable: Re Nappies and Convenience | | | | hours. |
| Cloth Nappies vs Disposable Nappies? This is the | | | | But are cloth nappies so 'inconvenient'? The mums |
| question that every new mother is asked at some | | | | who use them would disagree. |
| point. | | | | In fact, they find them just as easy to use - put them |
| It is a also a question mums ask themselves when the | | | | on, take them off, chuck them in a covered bucket until |
| cost of disposable nappies starts to add up and they | | | | washing day. Then, pop them in the washing machine, |
| think of adding another baby to the family - doubling | | | | add a tiny bet of detergent, and turn on the machine. |
| the cost... hmm, perhaps it is time to consider cloth | | | | Hang on the line as you get a bit of a stretch and |
| nappies again? | | | | moment in the sunlight to think your thoughts. Simple. |
| Each baby will wear approximately 6000 nappies over | | | | Studies have shown that using cloth means 5 minutes |
| 2-3 years. That is a lot of money when each one of | | | | difference in a day, once all the factors are considered |
| them costs 40 - 60c + each, is used briefly then | | | | - that is hardly more onerous, AND it is VASTLY more |
| thrown in the bin, to sit there rotting for a long time in | | | | economical! |
| the anaerobic conditions in the common landfill. | | | | Environmentally, bulk buying your disposable nappies is |
| It may seem a simple choice, a black and white choice | | | | the answer - it is pre-cycling, which is preventing |
| - buy disposable nappies each week and throw them | | | | sources of waste from coming into your home, in this |
| in the bin after a few hours, or buy modern cloth | | | | place lots of smaller numbers of disposable nappies |
| nappies, and reuse them over and over. Of course the | | | | wrapped in packaging - often plastic packaging. This |
| reality is that you can use BOTH! You can combine | | | | also means less cost, as buying in bulk is cheaper, and |
| the best features of each kind of nappy and tailor | | | | there is less running around for you to do. |
| your stash to the requirements of your budget, your | | | | What is the +1? Build a Hybrid or Mixed Nappy Stash |
| conscience, your lifestyle, your personal preferences | | | | Including Some Biodegradable Disposable Nappies |
| and your baby. | | | | When considering the cloth vs disposable debate the |
| This article looks at the environment as a factor to | | | | most important thing to realise is that your nappy |
| consider when you think about the cloth vs disposable | | | | choice is not about one or the other - you can use |
| debate. | | | | both! It is about which suits you, your budget, your |
| What if, rather than 6000 nappies used once, your | | | | lifestyle and our planet's resources the most. by being |
| baby wore perhaps a third of that number, and | | | | flexible, you can reap the benefits of all of their best |
| replaced the other 4000 nappy changes with | | | | features and minimise your baby's environmental |
| washable nappies? This is what using modern nappies | | | | footprint too. |
| means when compared with disposable nappies - | | | | What if you create a hybrid stash - use disposables, |
| savings - saving money each week, saving natural | | | | but also buy a pack of environmentally friendly |
| resources and helping you feel better about that tiny | | | | disposable nappies that you can bury in the garden, |
| person who is a huge waste contributor at such a | | | | sprinkle under some bushes or add to a worm farm |
| young age! | | | | now and again, you'll start to find out just why so |
| With advances in their design made by clever mothers | | | | many mums are making the switch to using more cloth |
| designing cloth nappies who have 'been there and | | | | nappies these days. |
| done that', modern cloth nappies are a real competitor | | | | By buying a few modern cloth nappies (They'll save |
| to disposable nappies now. | | | | those late night dashes out to an expensive |
| Disposable nappies are marketed as 'convenience' | | | | convenience store), and with over 330 nappy makers |
| nappies. Using disposable nappies means buying large | | | | and retailers in Australia and New Zealand listed at My |
| packages every week, racing out when you've run | | | | Green Nappy, shopping for cloth nappies is FUN, and |
| low to buy more at expensive prices late in an evening | | | | modern nappies are the popular way to nappy your |
| (yikes!), standing in line at the shops, transporting from | | | | baby while you save money and reduce his or her |
| the shop to home, storing, then storing a stinky mass in | | | | impact on the environment! |
| your bin until rubbish day. Each one used for mere | | | | |