Day 14 - Bare facts

Since my kids are well out of toddler-hood, I must confess I’ve been out of the loop when it comes to issues facing mothers of small fry. But a friend of mine clued me in on a growing movement called—drumroll, please—THE DIAPERLESS BABY.

Yes, there is a group of parents who believe it is not only possible, but environmentally and psychologically beneficial, to raise your child without a diaper ever touching his or her skin. The idea is that you can read your child’s signals and know when he has to eliminate (elimination communication), and take him behind a tree, or hold her over a toilet. It sounds absolutely crazy. In fact, my friend and I have giggled about it many times. And yet…

I have to admit, there were many times, as I stuffed another diaper into the endless diaper genie sausage (those of you who have used one know what I mean), when I had painful pangs of guilt. I imagined the enormous pile of diapers my one tiny child had sent to the landfill, and it made me queasy. (I quickly stopped using the diaper genie. Why encase those smelly little bombs in yet more plastic?) But there were no other options besides washable or disposable, and each had their consumer waste drawbacks. Harsh detergent and bleach in the water system versus disposable diapers in the landfill.

So I would say this idea definitely has merit, if you are not faint of heart, and if you are truly and steadfastly dedicated to reducing your landfill waste. There are surely many challenges to this system, but I think there could be benefits, too. Check out Grist Magazine’s take on it at http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2004/02/12/umbra-diaperless/index.html

Here’s a blog by a family who is actually trying this system (although they’re not completely diaperless):

http://loriandpaul.hopedenver.com/babynotes/2007/11/diaperless-update.html

Of course the flipside is that, as a parent, you will have to become even more obsessed with your child’s bodily functions than you already are. That might not be good for some of us. But it’s something to think about.

Another option is the biodegradable diaper, but if these end up in a landfill, they won’t degrade much, anyway. Nothing degrades much in a landfill. But for disposables, try to buy some with recycled content. Besides cloth, these are the most environmentally friendly, according to the Waste Prevention Information Exchange.

Tip for Day 14 – Use diapers made with recycled content if you’re going the disposable route.