Municipalities

It’s surprising to many that municipal governments have reason to care about what type of diapering their citizens prefer. Due to the way in which municipal solid waste is processed, however, most communities are unknowingly subsidizing disposable diapers.

Do you want to know more? Download and read our paper, Diapers and Municipal Government (PDF, 175K).

We show how to estimate for yourself how much your community is spending on disposable diapers and give some suggestions on how to reduce the hidden subsidy. If you're trying to reduce this subsidy in your community, please feel free to contact us; perhaps we can even help you establish some sort of discount reusable diaper program.

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Massachusetts Diaper Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

If you’re curious about how much diaper solid waste is being generated in your community and you happen to live in Massachusetts, you may find the following table of interest. It is based on the annual reports made by the individual communities to the commonwealth, so if your community did not provide a complete report you will only see blanks for it (and the total for the state is not counting those communities). Otherwise you will see (in tons) the approximate weight range of the diaper waste being produced in your community per year. If you know how much your community spends to haul and dispose of a ton of MSW, it’s then just a simple matter of multiplication to figure out roughly how much your community is spending on disposable diapers. Spending between $100 and $200 per ton on MSW is not uncommon.

Community	Diaper Min. Diaper MSW	Diaper Max. Diaper MSW
Boston			Springfield			Quincy			Fall River			New Bedford			Worcester			Lynn			Brockton			Medford			Newton			Haverhill			Somerville			Weymouth			Barnstable			Plymouth			Chicopee			Peabody			Cambridge			Malden			Revere			Waltham			Brookline			Everett			Methuen			Westfield			Billerica			Salem			Taunton			Pittsfield			Framingham			Saugus			Wakefield			Chelmsford

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Environment

There has been a lot of misleading information circulated about the impact of different types of diapers on the environment. Back in 1978 a study called Study of Environmental Impacts of Selected Disposable Versus Reusable Products with Health Considerations (SW-152c) was released, unreviewed, by the EPA, that compared the environmental impact of disposables versus reusables in several categories (including diapers). This study introduced the curious idea that it may be better to create something anew rather than wash it due to the resources involved in the washing. There were enough criticisms of SW-152c raised at the time that the EPA put a disclaimer on it indicating that it ought never to be used to determine public policy.

In spite of that disclaimer, many took it seriously and continue to take it seriously. Unfortunately, some of its conclusions are based upon errors. We have written a white paper identifying these errors and (as best as possible) factoring them out. Sound interesting? Read An Analysis of the Diaper Portion of SW-152c (PDF, 326K) for all the details.

We have also written another white paper, Diapers and the Environment (PDF, 221K), giving an overview of the environmental impact of disposable versus reusable diapers in a few areas.

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Cost Comparisons

Have you ever wondered whether it’s more expensive to use cloth diapers or disposable diapers? Wonder no more! Read our paper, Diaper Cost Comparison (PDF, 199K), to see the average case and learn how to calculate it for your own specific case. Don’t let others tell you which will be less expensive for you, check it out for yourself.

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For most people most of the time, reusable diapers will be dramatically less expensive than single-use diapers, but again don’t just take our word for it — learn how to check it for yourself and get a trustworthy answer that’s customized just for you.

Don't be surprised if you discover that simply changing your diapering habits saves you hundreds (for a single child) or even thousands (for more than one child) of dollars.

Diapers

NEARTA is pleased to announce our own new patent-pending reusable diaper specifically designed to consume less energy drying, be comfortable for Baby, and be as easy to use as a disposable diaper. Even though it’s a premium diaper utilizing a unique combination of modern breathable materials, cutting-edge manufacturing techniques enable it to be affordably priced. You can purchase NEARTA diapers from Nhung’s Notions.

Pause over (or type) any of the above numbers to learn more about this new diaper’s features.