Brent Nelson

My wife and I went to eat at our favorite Indian restaurant the other day. I didn’t bother bringing my own utensils because they use reusable silverware. Unfortunately, we arrived after the lunch rush and there were people than plates. They gave us our water in single-use plastic cups with lids (thankfully no straws), but at least those are able to be recycled. They then ran out of silverware and just put out single use spoons. I cringed at that and debated not taking one, but my weakness for gajar halwa won out. :(

Making the Switch to Cloth Diapers
One of the challenges in the Family category is to switch from single-use disposable diapers to cloth diapers if you have young children. My wife and I already are doing this with our son, so I thought I would share my experiences for anyone who might want to do the same.

There are several different brands of cloth diapers, each one with a different design for how they work. They do save a lot of waste, but there are some considerations to keep in mind. Most of the brands are bulkier than disposable diapers since the extra cloth is meant to absorb, so outer clothes might not fit over them the same way. Since they are reusable, they will need to be cleaned...besides the extra work, you will be using extra water and electrical resources. And, unfortunately, they're not as convenient when travelling. I hate to admit, but there are times when disposable diapers just make more sense to use.

Here are some of the brands I have used:
G Diaper- These are the least bulky. There is a thin cloth exterior, with a thin plastic inner diaper that snaps in. This inner piece basically holds the single use liners that you insert. What is good about these liners is that they are fully biodegradable! If just wet, you can compost them. If soiled, you can peel them open and flush the inner absorbent liner and only have to throw away the soiled exterior. Downside is cost for having to replenish the liners. One of our doctors is a big fan of these and uses them for her kids.

Thirsties and BumGenius have similar designs. They are bulkier and have 1-2 inner flaps that line the diaper and absorb. You don't need to buy extra liners or take anything apart, so they are easy to use. There are lots of snaps/buttons on the front so they are adjustable in size. The snaps also allow you to fold them up for easy storage. Downside is that they don't seal or absorb as well as others, so I've had some leaks.

Charlie Banana is similar to the last two, but instead of the flap that sits in the diaper, there are cloth inserts that  you slip between the inner and outer layers of the diaper. These inserts are washable, and I feel like they absorb better than Thirsties. The downside is that there is extra work pulling them out and washing them individually as well as the diaper itself, as opposed to the single unit for the previous brands. This is the brand we primarily use.

Do you get points or Reflection Questions for "I already do this" actions? There's information for some that I want to share but not sure how since it just blocks off that entire category.