I remember well the days before the advent of 'disposable diapers'. My eldest son wore only cloth diapers and back then, they were simple rectangles of flannel (which I had to fold myself), held by diaper pins and covered with plastic pants. We both survived just fine without the convenience of disposable diapers, as have babies and parents for milennia past.

With my younger 2 children, the age of disposables had begun and I bought into it hook line and sinker. I knew nothing of the environmental impact they had, nor did I even consider it. In those days we were too busy discovering all of the new conveniences that were coming our way. It was also a relatively new era of two income families, so the disposable diapers just made sense when one considered the ease and convenience for babysitters and daycare centres.

Fast forward a couple of decades and we are now realizing the tremendous burden that these diapers have been in the landfill sites of North America, with an estimated 29 billion going into them every year. This estimate is based on approximately 1.5 billion in Canada and 27.4 billion in the U.S. I had also read that disposable diapers account for 3% of the total waste in landfills, and it is estimated that it takes between 250 - 500 years for them to completely decompose. No one really knows, since disposable diapers have only been around for about 30 years.

It takes over 300 lbs. of wood, 50 lbs. of petroleum feedstocks and 30 lbs. of chlorine to make enough disposable diapers for ONE baby for ONE year. These single use diapers also contain traces of dioxin, which is a bi-product of the bleaching process and a known cancer causing carcinogin and tributyl-tin, which is known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals. The absorbent inner layers of the diaper contain Sodium Polyacrylate which is a type of Super Absorbent Polymer, or SAP. This is the same ingredient that was banned in the manufacture of tampons due to its link to toxic shock syndrome.

The more natural, unbleached disposables are a little better, since they don't contain chlorine, which is so very harsh on baby's skin and some have an outer waterproof protection made of cornstarch instead of plastic. But even those that say they are biodegradable and/or flush-able contain a Super-absorbent Gelling Material, or AGM, which some sources say contributes to an increase in childhood asthma and a lower sperm count in boys.

With all of these questions and uncertainties surrounding disposable diapers, I wonder now why anyone would choose to use them on their little ones. The new cloth diapers are incredible! Not only do they look great, but they come in a wide variety of styles and options to make diapering a tailor made experience. If you are concerned about care and convenience, no need to worry - new fabrics and designs and lack of plastic, have made them a breeze to wash and dry, unlike their counterparts of a decade or so ago. The new microfiber fabrics also make it possible to genuinely keep moisture away from baby's skin and have made diapers really quite 'breathable'. This, coupled with the fact that bleach is both unnecessary and not recommended in the care of diapers, means that diaper rashes are rare.

Cloth diapers are cost effective as well. The initial outlay is about the same, or less than you would spend on disposables for one baby. Averaged out over more than one child, the cost decreases considerably. If you sew, patterns are readily available on the Internet as well as specialty diaper fabric supplies, tips and helps. I have found, as I delve into the world of cloth diapers for my grandchildren, that it is a fun and "happening" place to be. Go exploring, talk to some people and see how beneficial the return to cloth diapers is.