Convenience is the major reason given by parents, particularly in dual-career families where time for cloth diaper care is limited. Group day care restrictions requiring single use diapers by registrants also influence choice of diapering method. Families without access to home laundry equipment find care of cloth diapers burdensome. Associated with the convenience and market penetration of single use diapers is waste disposal. Environment Disposable Diapers With landfills reaching capacity and dumping costs expected to quadruple by the year 2000, solutions for disposal of all solid waste, including disposable diapers, is a critical concern.
Disposable diapers generate four times as much solid waste as cloth diapers.
However, some additional concerns regarding the decomposition of disposable diapers and resulting by-products must be considered. However, wood pulp used in disposable diapers comes from tree farms operating for this purpose rather than forests or woodlands. Questions concerning the completeness of decomposition of both sections of the chemical plastic units in diapers exist. Another potential problem could be leachate, primarily from older landfills, entering ground water supplies. Viruses excreted in human feces could pose health problems long term.