WE'VE GONE CLOTH (AND WHY THE ORTHODOX HAVE TOO)

If you think that people who use cloth diapers are preachy, proceed directly to the next blog entry.

About two or three weeks ago we decided to try cloth diapers.
I've been kind of quiet about it because it seemed like a big commitment - and possibly a gross one - so I didn't want to make it too public in case we couldn't follow through. BUT I'd been reading a lot about how much landfill waste disposable create and feeling very guilty (plus, they are ultimately less expensive).

In actuality, it's not hard at all (as long as you own a washing machine). We have 16 cloth diapers, enough for 2.5 days and a flip lid garbage can with a laundry bag liner. There is a special sprayer that attaches to the toilet to spray off particularly poopy diapers - wet ones go straight in the hamper. Every other night we wash them.

And they are WAY cute.


AND THE BEST REASON - I am a bit obsessed with laundry and there is nothing more satisfying than the magic of seeing a diaper go from dirty to looking brand new.

SO - now the plan is to stick with cloth by day and possibly one disposable at night.
Once she starts eating solids at 6 months we'll regroup and decide if we are sticking with cloth or going back to disposables.

Here are some of the staggering statistics about disposable diapers:

• Disposable diapers are the largest single product in the waste stream. Each disposable diapered child creates about 2 TONS of trash that does not decompose (approximately 5,300 disposable diapers).
• It takes 440-880 lbs. of fluff pulp and 286 lbs. of plastic (including packaging) per year to supply a single baby with disposables.
• And washing cloth diapers at home uses the same amount of water as an adult flushing the toilet.

I had assumed that most pepole's reasons for using cloth were either financial or environmental - but I found a local site run by a stay at home orthodox mother of 5 (the site is ironically called "ANGEL BUNZ") who had this to say.

• At Angel Bunz, we think re-usable diapers help us follow the Rabbinic dictum not to be baal tashchis/to be wasteful.


• "G-d placed him (the man) in the Garden of Eden to work it and protect it." (B'raishis/Genesis 2:15)
  
  
• "Do not corrupt or desolate my world: for if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you." (Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13)
  
  
Maybe we can't solve the entire landfill problem on our own but as Rabbi Tarfon says in Ethincs of Our Fathers (Pirkei Avot), "It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it." If you are serious about Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), you should be serious about cloth diapers!

Additionally, Rabbi Yissocher Frand, in his book Rabbi Yissocher Frand In Print, (Mesorah Puplications 1995. p. 88-90) discusses the state of society today:


• "We live today in a throwaway society where nothing is forever. Its not just aluminum cans and foil that gets thrown away after one use."

We at Angel Bunz feel that something is lost in our lives and our relationships when we just throw things away after one use, because, as Rabbi Frand continues, "this attitude spills over into every aspect of our lives.

If you are interested in reading more - here's the link to this particular store.
http://www.angelbunz.com/info_why_use_cloth.html