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The word dilemma is not used melodramatically here. As you read this, some 95 percent of babies in America are doing their baby thing while wearing disposable diapers. Those wailing banshees, on average, will go through about 5,000 changes during, uh, diaperhood. The result—18 billion dirty disposable diapers tossed out each year—comprises 5 percent of landfill waste in the US. According the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a standard gel-filled disposable diaper takes roughly 500 years to decompose. In other words: Diaper Dilemma.
Real Green raises the stakes with this: "Imagine the amount of petroleum-based plastic and wood pulp that goes into manufacturing those 18 billion diapers, and then think about the super-absorbent polymers and deodorizing chemicals many companies add to the mix."
At this point, the diaper dilemma may seem easily solved?thanks to soft, cotton, reusable diapers. Not so fast, Green Ones. "Cloth diapers must be washed in hot water after each use—and some sources recommend washing your diapers twice to kill germs," explains Real Green. "That's a lot of water, energy, and detergent, which could be an issue in areas where water is scarce and must be carefully conserved. And if that cotton isn?t organic, tons of harmful pesticides were undoubtedly used to grow it."
Real Green offers this reasonable solution: "Organic cotton cloth diapers are still the best option, unless water conservation is a big concern in your area. If it is, choose a diaper with the most biodegradable content possible."
Another option might be to conclude that 6.6 billion "miracles" are more than enough. I?m just saying...
