Did you know that cloth diapers were once used to save thousands of Filipinos during World War II? In the town of Toloso, Leyte, “Signal Day” is celebrated in October each year to celebrate the three young men who, using a white cloth diaper, heroically signaled the incoming Allied Forces not to bomb the beaches where thousands of civilians were gathered.
Cloth diapers have not just proven their worth in the battlefield. They are also the wiser choice for moms and babies today.
You may ask, “Who needs a pile of soiled cloth diapers when disposable ones are so much more practical?”
Well, the reality is, the humble cloth diaper may not be so humble after all. Here are some of the advantages to using cloth diapers over disposables:
Environment-friendly
According to mommy Amanda Griffin Jacob, a member of theAsianparent Philippines parent advisory board, if a child uses an average of 6 to 8 disposable diapers a day, this would translate to about 5,500 diapers in two years.
She added that majority of disposable diapers are made of non-biodegradable materials, such as plastic, and would take approximately 500 years before fully decomposing.
According to Real Diapers, disposable diapers are the “third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.”
In addition, Real Diapers explains, disposable diapers produce sixty times more solid waste. To manufacture them, a lot of raw materials are used, such as crude oil and wood pulp.
“Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby each year,” Real Diaper adds.
In the Philippines, some 35 million diapers are used each year.
Affordability
Cloth diapers may seem expensive at first glance, with prices ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand pesos depending on the brand. But the beauty of the cloth diaper is that you can use it for a VERY long time.
Cloth diapers come in one-size-fits-most (OSFM) designs that have rows of snap buttons you can choose from as your child grows. In fact, OSFM diapers are designed to fit babies from birth to potty training.
On the other hand, a twelve-piece pack of diapers costs about PhP150 or PhP12.50 each. So if a child uses 8 disposable diapers a day, that means you would have to shell out Php 100 per day or a total of Php 36, 500 a year! That’s Php 73, 000 gone to waste, assuming your child is potty-trained by two years old!
Non-Toxic
Disposable diapers are made from plastic and contain bleach, drying agents, dye, fragrances, and other harmful chemicals.
Awesome Beginnings 4 Children states that disposable diapers also contain dioxins and polyacrylate, which have been linked to various ailments such as cancer, reproductive & infertility problems, asthma & respiratory distress, hormonal problems, developmental & cognitive problems, suppressed immune system, diabetes, endometriosis, allergic reactions, chemical burns, Chloracne, and Toxic Shock Syndrome (in the use of tampons).
Cloth diapers are made of natural fibres like cotton and hemp, and even bamboo fabrics.
Bye-bye rashes
Using cloth diapers can also help prevent diaper rashes. How? Aside from containing no harmful chemicals that can damage your baby’s skin, parents are more easily reminded to change their baby’s nappy since it is also easier to see and feel wetness when cloth diapering.
Ease in potty training
Children who use cloth diapers may also be potty-trained sooner. This is because children who use cloth diapers feel the discomfort more when they are wet from their urine not turning into gel.
Cloth diaper shops in the Philippines
The cloth diapering community in the Philippines has grown quite a bit over recent years, and there are a number of shops where one can purchase cloth diapers. Some shops are The Chipper Online Shoppe, Andee’s Closet, and Fluffy Pwets. There are also a number of cloth diapers sold in malls, as well as at The Parenting Emporium in New Manila.
For more information and support on your cloth diapering mission, you can check out Modern Cloth Nappying Moms, which is a 23,000-strong community of cloth diapering parents.
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Also read: Why cloth diapers are making a comeback