cloth versus disposable diapers

I love nature. I love Mother Earth. And for most part, I leave as little carbon footprint as possible. I ride public utility vehicles instead of driving my own car, I walk instead of riding if the place is near, I recycle almost everything (pack rat!), I conserve water and our home uses solar panels. And now that Labsie and I are going to have a child, I decided to remain being green in raising him/her. And thus we begin with the diaper issue -- cloth or disposable?

Cloth diapers is reusable for years on end, making it cheaper. Also, there's no trash to contribute to landfills and zero percent additives to harm your baby's bottom. Its major downside is washing the cloth and thus wasting precious water. Also a downside for me is handling poop and pee directly, yuck! -_- Disposable diapers on the other hand is very convenient -- use and throw. And the "throw" part is the bad part as disposables are plastic with lots of additive that will take at least 500 years to decay. Really bad for the environment! =(

So what's a trying-hard green mommy to do? I don't wanna launder diapers with yucky stinky poo (one of the millions of reasons I didn't wanna have a baby) but I don't wanna pollute the earth unnecessarily either. After much research, I stumbled upon a third alternative -- organic disposable diapers!! ^_^ These are just like the mainstream plastic disposables BUT they are made of earth-friendly stuff plus there are no unnecessary additives to harm baby's skin. Perfect!

And the best part is? I found sellers here in my town! Woohoo! The price is just the same as disposables (it's imported) but I'm willing to sacrifice money for the sake of our Earth. If this is your first time to hear of organic disposable diapers, read on below. Got descriptions of the 2 brands of eco-friendly diapers that I'm planning to buy =) For more brands, you can click the sellers links (pink) as they have more info in their sites. Good luck!

Organic and Chlorine-Free Disposable Diapers
Davao City seller: Angel's Butt
Manila sellers: Earth Friendly Organic Diapers - Handy Dandy Diapers - Pick A Diaper

Earth's Best TenderCare Disposable Diapers are made from only chlorine free absorbent materials that are NEVER treated with chlorine bleaching agents which may contribute to dioxin pollution. Their breathable sides, moisture barrier cuff and refastenable tabs ensure premium comfort fit and ease of use. Our diapers are made with renewable resources and fewer petro-chemicals to reduce your baby's environmental footprint.

• Non-chorine bleached materials
• Contains natural absorbent material such as corn and wheat
• Super Absorbency
• Comfy stretchy refastenable tabs
• Latex-free, dye-free, perfume-free
• Moisture barrier cuff
• Breathable sides
• Imported from Canada

The Moltex Oko Disposable Diaper is marketed as an eco friendly disposable diaper that is also better for your baby. There are no added chemicals as found in the mainstream brands. These chemicals, such as lotions and deodorants are used to keep odors away. Unfortunately these can cause rashes and other problems such as fungi and viruses. The Oko diapers use a green tea leaf extract to help with odors.

Twenty percent of the absorbent gel has also been replaced with a totally biodegradable absorbent gel made from maize (corn) starch. Being a natural product this also tends to prevent formation of ammonia which can also cause skin rashes. The breathable backsheet is made from 100% biodegradable materials as is the packaging. All this means a fully compostable diaper without the need to add to landfill or be burnt.

* Refastenable/velcro frontal tape
* Multiple channel leakproof
* Cloth-like backsheet for 100% airflow
* Improved absorbency
* Imported from Germany
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