Diapers: What's Best? An interview with Green Guide science editor Molly Rauch

GG: Which are more eco-friendly, cloth or disposable diapers?

MR: Hands-on experience with my baby combined with my research [for The Green Guide Diaper Product Report] assured me that cloth diapers are more eco-friendly. Although disposable diapers can be manufactured to biodegrade in an open field, with lots of sunlight, no disposable diaper will biodegrade in a landfill.

GG: What about convenience?

MR: Many families nowadays use a combination of cloth and disposable diapers, and this seems like a good option when cloth just isn't practical. You can use cloth diapers at home, but when going to a museum or a play-date, switch to a disposable so that you don't have to lug home soggy diapers. Using cloth diapers even part of the time cuts down on the amount of disposables in landfills.

GG: What brands can you recommend?

MR: For disposable diapers, I like Seventh Generation: Their diapers are unbleached, they don't have cartoons or logos or fragrance and they don't leak.

Resources
Organic Cotton
alternativebaby.com, 800-469-1126
ecobaby.com, 800-596-7450
diapersafari.com, 941-923-6324
Disposable
tushies.com, 800-344-6379
seventhgeneration.com, 800-456-1191