A Growing Epedemic

As I was reading this, I thought I would hilite the parts that I found interesting. I just thought I was changing poopy diapers... who knew?

Disposable Diaper Statistics

Disposable diaper statistics can stagger the mind, particularly when viewed in the context of the history of child rearing. The modern infant can expect to go through nearly five thousand diaper changes, according to conservative estimates. (Other reputable sources put the number at closer to 11,000.) For comparison, consider that parents in the pre-disposable diaper era often changed their infants’ diapers only a handful of times over years. In fact, as foreign as this idea sounds, some parents actually used to “pass down” diapers from sibling to sibling to save money during hard times.

Experts in disposable diaper statistics estimate the number of diapers disposed in U.S. landfills alone at more than 21 billion annually. Health officials warn that this number should only increase, given current toilet training trends, which suggest that parents are waiting longer and longer to wean their toddlers off their diapers. The sheer volume of disposable diapers in landfills presents a slate of logistical and environmental challenges. The degradation of the plastics used in many disposable diapers can take half a millennium. Moreover, the chlorinated byproducts of such degradation can leech into soils and create hazards to public water supplies. When you consider these disposable diaper statistics alongside the fact that the U.S. public spends nearly half a billion dollars annually on disposables, it’s easy to see why so many interest groups have aligned against these products.

All this said, however, it’s imperative to view disposable diaper statistics with an open mind. While disposing plastics in landfills undoubtedly exacts an environmental toll, the rinsing and washing of billions of cloth/reusable diapers would likewise create major strains on public sewage systems. Also, bear in mind that the convenience of quick-changing infants frees up worker resources, which theoretically could be harnessed for pro-environment initiatives.

This posting is from:

http://www.hamptonsdiapers.com/disposable-diaper-statistics.html