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I have seen conflicting reports regarding the environmental impact of cloth vs disposable diapers. Cloth diapers have to be washed. They use water, detergent, etc. It isn't a clear "win" for the environment to forego disposable diapers.

For me, I have a genetic disorder. Treating it conventionally is extremely expensive (~$100k or more annually, which grows the older -- and sicker -- that you get). I have found that throwing out contaminated clothing is a drop in the bucket compared to what the medical expenses are supposed to be and far more effective in terms of giving me high quality of life (a la "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" -- it is just so much better to protect myself than to let myself get sick and then try to treat it).

Also, I am somewhat skeptical of self-reported anecdata concerning "we do x and it causes no problems" when someone has a stated up front agenda because of the tendency humans have to attribute "bad" outcomes to something they have decided is "bad" and "good" outcomes to something they have decided is "good" and do not confuse them with the facts. I have seen way too much of that in life. People are seldom objective or logical.



I have seen conflicting reports regarding the environmental impact of cloth vs disposable diapers

Me too. At least a couple of studies mainly took into account the amount of energy used for production vs washing. That is basically nonsense as it discards the waste. So even if both came out equally regarding energy consumption (hereby properly considering the washing machines these days use way less energy and water, latter might even have been collected from rain) there is still waste left with one and not so much with the other. And plastic isn't exactly that easy to get rid of.

Also, I am somewhat skeptical of self-reported anecdata concerning "we do x and it causes no problems"

Which is exactly why I also pointed out that I do not take it for granted that it works for everyone. And obviously for you it doesn't work, at all. And I'm fine with that.




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