Cloth Diapers Versus Disposable

I heard once that it takes 500 years for one disposable diaper to decompose in a landfill. It is a fact that diapers make up a huge part of our landfills. The statistics are something like 18 million diapers each year. Once I heard this disturbing statistic I began to research to verify if this is in fact true. According to the research that I have seen, it does take up to 500 years for the plastic part of a diaper to decompose. The biodegradable parts of the diaper will decompose over a shorter amount of time, however the process of decomposition needs oxygen (air), light and/or water. Tough to get under layers and layers of garbage. So begins my search to compare disposable diapers verses cloth.

I have also heard that there is a substantial cost savings when using cloth diapers so here is where I begin my research. This will not be my last post about this subject. Here are a few articles that I found helpful when comparing the cost of cloth versus disposable diapers.

Fuzzi Bunz- Cost Comparison
The Parent's Guide - Diapers, Diapers & More Diapers
Cash Money Lift - Cloth Diapers Vs. Disposable Diapers
Family Education - Diaper Wars: Cloth Versus Disposable

Another fact to note is that by state regulation daycare centers can not use cloth diapers for sanitary purposes. At this point, and based on the fact that my husband and I both have full time careers, I believe that our decision might come down to a part-time use of both cloth and disposable.