Over 18 billion disposable diapers are purchased each year in the US and the vast majority end up in landfills, where they will be around for hundreds of years. That is over 1 ton (2,000 pounds!) of landfill waste per child. Cloth diapers do not contribute to landfill waste and use far less raw materials to produce. Manufacturing disposable diapers uses more water than washing cloth diapers. Cloth diapers contain fewer chemicals than disposable products. It makes environmental sense to reuse as many products as possible and to avoid chemicals in products used against the skin. Reusable cloth diapers are lighter on the planet and more eco-friendly than any single use product when resources for manufacturing, use and disposal are considered.

The average baby needs about 6000 diapers during the first two years. Not including wipes (estimated by one mama at $18 per month for disposables), rash creams (diaper rash is a common side effect of using products containing chemicals) or garbage disposal (one ton of waste per baby), the cost to purchase disposable diapers is approximately $2500 for 2 years. Cloth diapers for the same time will cost from $150-$700. Buying used diapers or making your own will save even more money. Cloth diapers can also be reused for additional children, resold for a good percentage of the original cost or repurposed as cleaning cloths. Babies in cloth diapers generally toilet train sooner than babies in disposable diapers, reducing the length of time your child is in diapers altogether.