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Why would I choose to do something as ‘alternative’ as cloth nappies when I’m a normal (well, I like to think so) mainstream mum? Here are the two main reasons!
YOU SAVE MONEY
I’m not a fan of putting a “price”
on children but I do believe that if we choose to have kids that we are responsible for making wise financial choices on their behalf so that we can provide them with the things that are really important. My calculations showed me that if I put all 3 of my boys through disposables the total cost would be about $10,000 over 6 or so years. I’d much rather put that towards their education or at the very least a few extra coffees for myself to help me get through the day! ;) The statistics show the costs of disposables, baby wipes, nappy bags to be over $3000 per child. Alternatively modern cloth can cost as little as $300 for a basic system of prefolds and covers or around $800 for premium/fitted nappy option and that’s just for one child! The savings double the more kids you have!
Note: Laundry information http://www.ozclothnappies.org.info/html#laundrycost
YOU HELP THE ENVIRONMENT
I also believe that if we choose to have kids that do use up our earths resources (not a romantic thought I know) we also need to look after the environment “for” them until they are old enough to do so themselves.
WATER USAGE Cloth nappies are undoubtedly a better alternative in terms of environmental impact despite what some people may say. The main argument against cloth nappies is that they use up more water but in actual fact it takes 22 litres of water to produce just 1 disposable nappy when you calculate what takes place between manufacturing, production, and getting them from factory to store. Therefore, an extra load a day (or even less if you want to wash less often and have enough nappies) is still a better alternative! It’s also important to note that many of the large disposable companies are responsible for producing reports containing statistics that are inaccurate for their own gain.
LANDFILL The statistics as to how many years exactly it takes for a single nappy to biodegrade is sketchy (300-600years) but the fact that every single nappy ever created (e.g my little sisters..ew) is still sitting in land fill is disguisting. I think its fair to say it takes “a long time” to bio-degrade as opposed to an apple so it’s more about acknowledging our “throw away” society and its impact.
FACTS: If you ou used just ONE cloth nappy a day for the 2.5 years your baby is in nappies you’ll save around $300 and 310kgs of waste going into landfill!
“Lastly, consider the root cause of global climate change. Reusable nappies have a lower energy, fossil fuel and emissions impact compared to throwaway nappies. By teaching your children to reduce, reuse, and recycle - you're setting the stage for their environmental education. Here's hoping the next generation will make the Earth a better place.” QUOTE (ozclothnappies.org)
These are just two of the reasons I was converted and I know cloth isn't for everyone so this post is really for those who are interested in learning about the alternatives or so that people know that there are alternatives if they are interested.
(October 26th) (
