So, you want to use cloth diapers. This is an environmentally friendly choice. The benefits of not producing more plastics then putting plastic and chemical gel diapers full of human waste into landfill are probably quite obvious to you. But are you wondering what choices are available? What types of cloth can be used for diapers? What are the environmental and social advantages and disadvantages of each?

Organic Cotton
Hemp
Recycled

Actually, many fabrics and other fibers can function as an absorbent material in diapers. Since we promote environmentally responsible choices, we will discount any fabric containing artificial (or petroleum-based) fibers. Some try to argue that certain artificial fibers can be environmentally friendly. Several kinds of polyester fleece are made from recycled plastic bottles, for example. The problem is not that recycling plastic bottles is not a good thing, but rather that it does not address an implicit acceptance of the continued manufacture of plastic bottles—or any plastic, for that matter.

Naturally occurring fibers can be classified into three types: mineral, vegetable, and animal. Mineral fibers (such as asbestos) are obviously non-starters, unless you want a flame-proof diaper. In general, vegetable fibers absorb moisture well, so they are suitable for diapers. Animal fibers on the other hand (like wool) tend to repel moisture. This means that they are not useful as diapers, but they do make good diaper covers. (For a discussion of wool as a good material for use as a diaper cover go to "Why Use Wool For Diaper Covers?")

The two main vegetable fibers currently used as diaper fabric are cotton and hemp. Flax, linen, jute, sisal, ramie, etc., are either not absorbent enough, too expensive, or too rough—or we have no experience with them. If anyone wants to try making their own jute diapers, let us know how it works out.

At no point in the growth or production of organic fibers are chemicals used. (At least that used to be nearly true. For the guidelines on so-called "organic" agriculture, see the USDA's "National Organic Program."). Even in the absence of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides, though, cotton is an intense crop. Cultivation takes a lot of water, which is a big issue in some areas where cotton is grown in the U.S., such as the desert southwest. The following maps illustrate this point nicely: the first map shows the counties of the U.S. that grow the most cotton. The second map shows average annual precipitation. It is clear that the most densely-planted cotton regions (with the exception of the Mississippi Delta) are in some of the driest areas of the U.S.

Cotton is an excellent fiber for diapers—soft and absorbent. Organic cotton can be an environmentally friendly choice, especially if the farms where the cotton is grown practice responsible water management. As long as hemp production is restricted in the U.S., if you are looking for a domestically produced fiber, organic cotton is your best diaper choice.

• All Firefly Dry Diapers are available in soft, organic cotton knit.

• "Myth #1: Cotton Is Natural." Take yourself on a tour of the arguments in favor of organic cotton at Simple Life. http://www.simplelife.com/organiccotton/ This short exhibit was originally created to educate Patagonia employees about organic cotton production. The issues are made clear and simple.

• At Co-op America you can find many organic products—food, fiber, grooming, etc. http://www.coopamerica.org/

• Join other organic consumers in upholding truly organic standards at the Organic Consumers Association: http://www.organicconsumers.org/

Hemp is a friendly fiber to grow. You've heard it—it's a weed! Hemp does not need so much water and attention as cotton does in cultivation. Hemp is particularly absorbent, and it is also mildew resistant. That is a great plus for an item of clothing that will likely sit wet for several days before it is washed. Despite the ease of growth and breadth of uses for industrial hemp (or perhaps because of it), hemp is not grown commercially in the U.S. But 100% hemp can be a bit too rough for a baby's bottom. Most hemp fabric suitable for diapers is hemp blended with cotton, taking on many of the properties of cotton, including its softness.

One of the big drawbacks of the hemp/cotton blends most readily available in the U.S. is the cultivation and processing of the fibers is not so easy to see. Most come from China. How well are the farm laborers paid? How about those who process the fibers and operate the knitting machines and the looms? Hemp itself is a fine fiber to use in diapers, but if you are looking to make the chain between the production and use shorter, this is not the best fiber to use until there is hemp cultivated and processed closer to you.

• Stylish Hemp Diaper Bags, with cotton batik lining.

• Vote Hemp, a nonprofit organization working to change the laws that improperly classify hemp as a drug: http://www.votehemp.com/

• North American Industrial Hemp Council, working to reestablish and expand the use of industrial hemp: http://www.naihc.org/

• Global Hemp is an information portal: http://www.globalhemp.com/

Recycled fibers may be considered a good environmental choice. To use old clothes, especially those that aren't good anymore for wear because of holes or stains, diverts those fibers from the waste stream. You can easily cut around faults. Scraps can easily be used as stuffing for toys or as a base for paper. Your local thrift store will usually have a wide choice of colors and, if you search carefully, you may find many clothes, sheets, or towels that are 100% cotton or sweaters that are 100% wool. There is little you can know about where these fibers came from, what chemical processes they were subjected to, or the conditions in which workers made them, but you can renew their future life as useful clothing.

• When clothing, towels, or blankets are worn and holey but not quite ready to be rags, you can use them to sew your own diapers. Send the fibers around again for another useful life.

• The ways you can reuse and recycle, whether large scale or small scale, are limited only by your imagination. Maybe you can find a few ideas at America Recycles Day: http://www.americarecyclesday.org/ Check for a local America Recycles Day.

• The Environmental Protection Agency's Recycle City is especially good for children: http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/

• For adults, the EPA's "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" page offers more information about Municipal Solid Waste: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/reduce.htm

If you want to use make environmentally-friendly choices in cloth diapering your baby, there are several good choices. By considering these issues, you are making yourself a more educated consumer and that in itself is good for the environment.

copyright © 2000 - 2007 Marc Pehkonen. Used by permission.