Environmental Awareness 7th grade Health

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Environmental Awareness7th grade Health

• Disposable Diapers versus Re-Usable

Koryn Belfonti
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Environmental Impact

• 92 of all single-use diapers end up in landfills
• Diapers are the third largest single consumer
  landfill item
• Diapers create sixty times more solid waste
• Diapers require a lot of water, but disposable
  diapers use 2.3 times more water than cloth

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Environmental Awareness

• Disposable

• Re-Usable

• Various types usually with a variant plastic
  covering, absorbent gel material and elastic
  legged edges.
• Most households spend 800 dollars a year on
  disposable diapers.
• 95 of parents choose disposable diapers
• They are not recyclable

• Cloth diapers usually made from cotton or
  terry-cloth materials
• Most household that use reusable diapers have
  three dozen in the home.
• Cost can range from 300-1000 for a set of
  reusable diapers
• Recyclable

Save the Planet
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Harmful Chemicals in Disposable Diapers

• Sodium Polyacrylate

• Super absorbent holds fluid in the diaper.
• Linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome, allegoric
  reactions, and death if ingested.

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Dioxin

• The most toxic of all cancer linked chemicals
• Causes live disease, destroy the nervous system
  and kidneys, and cause headaches, dizziness, and
  rashes
• Banned in most countries except the U.S

Oh No Not the Diaper!
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Tributyl-tin (TBT)

• A toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal
  problems in humans and animals

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Disposable Diapers and the Environment

• 80 of diapering is done with disposables.
• 18 billions diapers a year
• Diaper waste totaled 3.4 million
  tons.
• 2.1 of U.S garbage in
  landfills
• 300 million is spent annually
  disposing of disposable diapers

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Manufacturing Disposable Diapers
Check this OUT

• Disposable diapers use 10 times more resources
  that cloth diapers
• Disposable Diapers use 20 times more raw
  materials to manufacture.
• 82 tons of plastic
• 1.8 million tons of wood pulp
• In a year for one baby it takes 200,000 trees, 50
  pounds of petroleum feedstock, and 20 pounds of
  chlorine to manufacture a disposable diaper
• 3.4 billion gallons of oil each year to
  manufacture disposable diapers

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Cloth Diapers and the Environment

• The water and energy required to wash and dry
  diapers takes a toll on the environment
• One child over 2.5 years using reusable diapers
  is comparable with driving a car 2,200 miles
• In a year a child can use up 3,700 cloth diapers
  or 2,900 disposable because cloth diapers are
  ineffective at absorbing

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Cloth Diapers and the Environment

• In a year a child can use up 3,700 cloth diapers
  or 2,900 disposable because cloth diapers are
  ineffective at absorbing
• Overall a disposable diaper uses 29 less energy
  in the home because of washing based on
  disposables manufacturing numbers
• Cloth diapers produce 50 more solid waste
• Cloth diapers save landfills but load washing
  machines energy and water

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Disposable versus Re-Usable Who is Eco Friendly?

• Disposable Diapers

• Re-Usable Diapers

• Less manufacturing
• Cost effective
• Less absorbent
• Decreases risk for toxins
• Reduce landfill waste
• Uses more energy and water
• Increase sewer waste

• Uses less energy in the washing process
• Uses less water to clean over a shorter period of
  time
• Increases landfill waste and increases risk of
  water contamination, viruses, insects,
  pollutions, and global warming
• Produce harmful toxins

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A Closer Look

• The graph compares the resources cloth and
  disposable diapers consume weekly, and their
  environmental effect on the air quality, water
  pollution, and non-renewable resources.

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The Diaper Debate

• Choosing a diapering method as a parent is a
  tough decision because there are many issues to
  be concerned with such environmentally friendly
  or time effective. Ultimately the decision
  should be made on the type of availability and
  the amount of responsibility a parent is willing
  to take on. For more information visit
  www.thenewparentsguide.com/diapers.htm

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The End
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