Disposable Diapers vs the Environment

Abstract

To the Editor.— In the August issue of Pediatrics, Sutton, Weitzman, and Howland published a commentary on disposable diapers and the environmental concerns raised by their use.1 They presented a very one-sided argument in favor of cloth diapers and used data from a 1987 article in Consumer Reports (1987;52:510-512) to support their position. The 1987 price they quoted for using cloth diapers with a laundering service was approximately $26 per month, while the quoted cost for disposables was $84 per month.