Cloth diaper or disposable diaper: which is the best option?

Disposable diapers began to be produced on a large scale in the 1950s. The idea came after a family trip by American chemical engineer Vic Mills, in which he embarked on the difficult mission of washing his newborn granddaughter’s diapers. Seeing how difficult the task was, Mills developed an absorbent product that prevented leaks, left the baby clean and dry, and could be discarded after use. The goal was to make life easier for moms.

Over the years, what was once a luxury item has become essential in the lives of the vast majority of families. The practicality of disposable diapers made sales reach a percentage of 90% of the preference of the Brazilian consumer. However, concerns about the environment and the destination of garbage, started to generate discussions about the impact of disposable diapers.

According to a survey carried out by the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urbanism at Unicamp, a disposable diaper takes, on average, 600 years to decompose in nature. In addition, the destination of disposables is landfills. Added to this is the fact that for the manufacture of disposable diapers, resources such as oil, trees and water are used.

For these reasons, cloth diapers have been used again in recent years as an alternative for families aware of the impact that disposable diapers have on the environment.

According to Ana Paula Silva, creator of the line of Baby Ecological Diapers from Morada da Floresta, a company founded in 2009, in the last four years demand has been growing and “the option of cloth diapers consists of a more sustainable attitude since its production does not imply the massive felling of trees and the generation of a huge amount of waste produced by disposable diapers”.

Disposable diapers: practicality

It is a consensus among mothers that the use of disposable diapers is practical and convenient. Time saving is one of the predominant factors in the choice. The fact that it is easily accessible, widely available and easy to use also contributes to its popularity.

In addition, one of the benefits of using disposable diapers is the gel with which they are made. Disposable diapers are composed of an outer layer of polyethylene and an inner layer of paper pulp, polyacrylate and water – which form a gel. This gel has a very high absorption capacity, which leaves the baby very dry.

Cloth diapers: eco-friendly

One way to preserve the environment is to replace disposable diapers with reusable models made of cloth.

Forget that traditional model: a piece of cloth held together with pins and wrapped in plastic pants! Now, cloth diapers are more practical and have adjustable button or velcro closures.

There are versions with absorbent fillings (cotton strips), which may or may not be removed for washing. The outer layer also varies: cotton, plush, mesh or polyester, whose advantage is faster drying: “cloth diapers are made in different materials, offering options such as 100% cotton or in sports fabrics such as Dry Fit and polyamide, which are quick-drying fabrics that are resistant to machine washing”, says Ana Paula.

In addition, the use of cloth diapers allows the baby’s delicate skin not to be in contact with harmful chemicals.

Economy: do the math

According to estimates, a baby weighing up to five kilos uses eight disposable diapers a day, that is, 240 at the end of the month and approximately 3 thousand in a year. Considering the average cost of one real per diaper, expenses would reach more than 6 thousand reais in the first two years of the baby’s life.

On the other hand, Ana Paula says that the average expense with the use of cloth diapers would not exceed 2 thousand reais: “only 20 one-size diapers supply the need for use from the newborn baby to the unfurl”. Also according to the expert, “the choice of cloth diapers also allows for economic savings and at the same time encourages the local economy and sustainable business practices”.

Where to buy cloth diapers?

Get to know some Brazilian stores that sell cloth diapers online: