Cloth diapering is debatably better for the environment, and more work than disposable diapers. But where cloth diapers win soundly over disposable diapers is cost. For an initial investment and then the costs of laundry, cloth diapers can be several hundred dollars cheaper than the cost of disposable diapers in the years between newborn and potty-trained child. And helping the economics argument, there is also a thriving market for used cloth diapers, such as local Minneapolis craigslist and nationwide DiaperSwappers.com.
A new local resource promoting the use of cloth diapers is Teeny Greenies. The non-profit loans bags of cloth diapers at no cost to families. They also offer help and advice on laundry and care of the diapers, and frequent workshops for any parent or expectant parent who is interested in cloth diapering.
The service is completely free, but donations of money and cloth diapers are gladly accepted to help sustain the program. The primary aim is to encourage cloth diaper use over disposable diapers. Helping low-income families who can't afford the initial investment in cloth diapering is a nice extra benefit.
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Comments
I just wanted to add to your list of TC diaper sellers! Baby Grand in St. Paul and Hopkins also carries a small selection of cloth diapers. And if you are looking to go diaper shopping, Linden Hills Natural Home has by far the largest selection of cloth diapers, followed by Peapods. Twin Cities Green and Bananas For Kids only have a small selection. And don’t forget that you can buy Gerber diapering products at Target and Walmart. Thanks for a great, informative article!
The disposable diaper companies are the only ones debating about the environmental sustainability of cloth diapers. How is a disposable diaper that are made with gallons of crude oil then they sit in a landfill for over 1000 years better for the environment than a cloth diaper? It would be like saying that we should all wear disposable clothing because it is too horrible for the environment to wash our clothes when they get dirty.
The debate for whether cloth diapers are better for the environment versus disposable is not cut and dry. Yes, cloth diapers are reusable, but they also require water and soap to clean them, these are resources, too.
I just wanted to add All Things Diapers to the cloth diaper store list. ATD is a brick and mortar store specializing in cloth diapers and is a cloth diaper delivery service.
I love the selection and service at Peapod’s in St. Paul. They have the best set up by far. I live near the co-op and they have a good variety but I go to Peapod’s whenever I need new gear.
Just wanted to add to your list of Cloth diaper sellers in the Twin Cities. I do not have a B&M store, but I am a Work-at-home mom and I make and sell cloth diapers in my home. My store is at http://www.momsinthehouse.com.