It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it

By Dilaila Mohd Yunus Most mothers I know would rather eat boiled socks than use cloth diapers. It seems they are more concerned about their immediate comfort that the preservation of the environment at large. Besides, the pro-disposable diaper mothers argue that the extra water used to wash cloth diapers is just as abusive to the environment as the production and disposal of disposable diapers. Besides, what about the electricity generated to power the washing machine, dryer and iron? Actually, it’s easy enough to make adjustments to lessen the impact of cloth diapers on the environment. Don’t wash with hot water. Don’t use a dryer, just air dry. Don’t iron. Don’t wash until you have enough for a full load. Thing is, even if you account for the extra water and electricity used to recycle cloth diapers, they are still less harmful than disposable diapers. For starters, just imagine all the trees and plastics that had to be destroyed to produce disposable diapers, year after year. Even the biodegradable diapers would only decompose if exposed to air and sun. Else, it would take several hundred years for the decomposition to take place. Worse, some plastic material would never decompose at all. Besides, the untreated waste from disposable diapers placed in landfills might also contaminate ground water, whereas solids from a cloth diaper that are flushed down the toilet end up in the sewer systems where they would be properly treated as wastewater plants. Likewise the water from the washing machine. Environment issues aside, cloth diapers are also more comfortable on the baby’s skin and a better way to avoid diaper rash. Besides, it’s a cheaper option. Still, at the end of the day, most mothers would opt for the convenience of disposable diapers. Perhaps someone should introduce a cloth diaper laundry service in Malaysia to make it easier for the mothers. It is not uncommon for countries in the west to provide a service whereby someone comes to deliver clean cloth diapers and take away the dirty ones to be washed. But then, the pro-disposable advocates would argue that such service would increase the use of petroleum. The writer is fortunate she doesn’t have to worry about this issue. She also is an international award-winning KL-based creative consultant with more than a decade’s experience in some of Malaysia’s most prominent advertising agencies and now runs In Other Words.

By Dilaila Mohd Yunus

Most mothers I know would rather eat boiled socks than use cloth diapers.

It seems they are more concerned about their immediate comfort that the preservation of the environment at large.

Besides, the pro-disposable diaper mothers argue that the extra water used to wash cloth diapers is just as abusive to the environment as the production and disposal of disposable diapers.

Besides, what about the electricity generated to power the washing machine, dryer and iron?

Actually, it’s easy enough to make adjustments to lessen the impact of cloth diapers on the environment.

Don’t wash with hot water. Don’t use a dryer, just air dry. Don’t iron. Don’t wash until you have enough for a full load.

Thing is, even if you account for the extra water and electricity used to recycle cloth diapers, they are still less harmful than disposable diapers.

For starters, just imagine all the trees and plastics that had to be destroyed to produce disposable diapers, year after year.

Even the biodegradable diapers would only decompose if exposed to air and sun. Else, it would take several hundred years for the decomposition to take place. Worse, some plastic material would never decompose at all.

Besides, the untreated waste from disposable diapers placed in landfills might also contaminate ground water, whereas solids from a cloth diaper that are flushed down the toilet end up in the sewer systems where they would be properly treated as wastewater plants. Likewise the water from the washing machine.

Environment issues aside, cloth diapers are also more comfortable on the baby’s skin and a better way to avoid diaper rash. Besides, it’s a cheaper option.

Still, at the end of the day, most mothers would opt for the convenience of disposable diapers.

Perhaps someone should introduce a cloth diaper laundry service in Malaysia to make it easier for the mothers. It is not uncommon for countries in the west to provide a service whereby someone comes to deliver clean cloth diapers and take away the dirty ones to be washed.

But then, the pro-disposable advocates would argue that such service would increase the use of petroleum.

The writer is fortunate she doesn’t have to worry about this issue. She also is an international award-winning KL-based creative consultant with more than a decade’s experience in some of Malaysia’s most prominent advertising agencies and now runs In Other Words.