Earth Day Teach In

Eco-Momming

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By Emmie Nuttal

Before having babies I saw a National Geographic film called “Human Footprint” which documents the many things a single human goes through over the course of a lifetime.  A fun summary is available in the ABC News article, “Diapers and Showers and Sodas, Oh My!”  replete with some mind-boggling math. The image from the film of the ginormous pile of diapers had me researching cloth diapers hours after finding out I was pregnant.  

Major advances have occurred in cloth diaper technology since I was a child haphazardly pinning rectangular towels onto my unassuming siblings. I felt equipped and ready. And then the baby came and things did not go as planned.

Both the idea of adding another diaper to a landfill or the prospect of adding to the laundry pile were each stress inducing and sometimes tear inducing too.

I had to pause and regroup. I already did the math on savings. I already knew the benefit to our planet. I already bought the needed cloth diapers, AND I had a closet full of gifted disposables AND an angry C-section incision that reminded me often that laundry was a dangerous undertaking.

So I did some new math, and I gave myself a break while I healed. Or tried to at least. One cloth diaper a day was my goal. It’s a challenge I extend encouragingly. One cloth diaper a day for 3 years (the age most kiddos stop needing daytime diapers) is 1095 diapers that won’t end up in a landfill. Multiply that by 2.4 kids (the average for American Momma’s these days) and that’s 2628 diapers that won’t go to a landfill.

I previously figured the average cost of a diaper is about twenty-five cents or $25 for 100 diapers across sizes. For 2628 diapers that is $657. Subtract the money spent on the cloth diapers, anywhere from $20-$50 for a part time kit and you are still up $600.

And so I pursued my goal of one cloth diaper a day and I gave myself a quarter in a jar so I actually had that money I was saving. And one diaper a day became, two or three then six or more. And I gave myself lots and lots of quarters for my awesomeness at eco-momming and whatnot.

To the parents on the fence, or crying over the laundry, I believe in you. One diaper a day is doable. Did you know that there are flushable, compostable absorbency pads now?! Cloth diapers are not only hip and eco-friendly but now they are parent friendly and super cute to boot.

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