| Reliable studies have shown neither disposable diapers | | | | electricity and a lot of water; you also are pumping |
| nor their reusable rivals have a clear-cut advantage by | | | | many potentially hazardous effluents into the |
| any measure of diaper value. Many families choose | | | | eco-system. But these are the variables over which |
| reusable diapers mistakenly believing they represent | | | | you have control. |
| the more earth-friendly selection. If you consider the | | | | Stock up on reusable diapers, so that you may do |
| question strictly in terms of the carbon footprint from | | | | fewer but much larger laundry loads. If your child uses |
| manufacturing and long-term landfill contamination, you | | | | ten diapers each day, invest in thirty or forty, so that |
| may make the case for reusable diapers' competitive | | | | you may postpone laundry for a couple of days. Invest |
| edge. If, however, you look at diapers' complete life | | | | in energy efficient appliances. Because new appliances |
| cycles, you will discover that they ultimately generate | | | | are at least twice, as efficient as models from even |
| as many greenhouse gases and put as many | | | | two or three years ago, your new washer and dryer |
| contaminants into the ecosystem as their | | | | will pay for themselves in about a year. When you |
| much-maligned plastic-and-paper rivals. | | | | install your new washing machine, convert to a waste |
| You do have some control over the environmental | | | | water recovery system, sending wash and rinse |
| impact by using cloth. Maintaining your allegiance to | | | | water to your landscaping instead of into the sewer |
| Mother Earth and looking out for her health, you face | | | | system. When you have you new washing machine |
| at least two critical issues: | | | | up and running, buy earth-friendly detergents that work |
| (1) what about energy consumption; and | | | | in cold water. Hot water wastes energy, and bleach |
| (2) what about waste water management? For your | | | | pollutes. Just as importantly, although you have a brand |
| baby's first year, unless you make some strategic | | | | new dryer, nevertheless you should air-dry diapers |
| moves and investments right away, you will wash at | | | | whenever weather permits. Not only do you save |
| least one full load of diapers every day. If you have | | | | energy, you also fill the diapers with the clean scents |
| other children, you reasonably may expect to run two | | | | of sunshine and flowers. |
| loads of laundry daily. You are consuming a lot of | | | | |