Adult Diapers Greener Than Toilets...

[langtab]

http://www.greendaily.com/2008/01/17/adult...r-than-toilets/

It seems like doing your part for Mother Nature should be pretty straightforward. The less you use, the less you waste, the happier the planet. This means throwaway items, like disposable diapers, would be off-limits, as they're only going to take up space in a landfill somewhere once you're through with them -- right?

Maybe not. It turns out that all that water you use to wash cloth diapers is also a drain on the planet's resources -- so much so, that disposables are a better option in some communities. And if you think that's surprising, check this out: apparently our toilets use so much water that it'd actually be better for the planet if we all swore off the potty and wore adult diapers instead.

No lies. Especially considering the new eco-friendly features on today's disposables, making a mess in your pants will, in the long run, use less of the planet's resources than flushing it down the john. Not that I'm advocating you buy a pack of Depends to reduce your carbon footprint -- after all, if you really wanted to reduce your waste, the best thing to do with that organic matter would be to let it fertilize your backyard (and that would be gross).

But it's an interesting question -- how far would you go to reduce your impact?

There is a poll on the website for this article!

[wsdler]

Interesting. I prefer disposables and I've felt guilty about the impact using them has however... I'm skeptical that it's more environmentally friendly to use a disposable than it is to use the toilet. Did they consider how much energy is consumed in manufacturing the diapers in their equation (which includes trucking in the materials to the suppliers, manufacturing the components of the diapers, shipping those products to the diaper manufacturers, etc. etc. etc.). I find it really hard to believe that that is more environmentally friendly than flushing the toilet (of course there was the qualifier that said in some communities, I wonder what they mean by that). The argument of using water to wash cloth diapers isn't what I'd be concerned about. That water can be processed and returned to the environment. It's not like it goes into a water trash can and is gone forever. What would worry me would be the electricity required to run the washing machine, and the electricity or natural gas required to run the dryer.

Still, if true it would put me at ease with one of the areas of guilt that I have with my diaper wearing however I remain skeptical.

[Rockies Fan in Diapers]

Interesting Article Tabby

Rockies Fan

[langtab]

I am soon switching over completely to cloth diapers due to my concerns for the environment. If you wash in cold water, use a phosphate free detergent, and air dry the diapers then yes you are lowering your impact on the environment considerably.

[dmavn]

hmm.. 78% that answered said they would wear diapers.. hehe