CLOTH DIAPERING IN THE NEWS

The Real Diaper Association is encouraged by a recent influx of cloth diapers in the news. RDA and cloth diaper advocates know that the use of reusable diapers is not a trend, but a tradition. Cloth diapers are real diapers. Join RDA and be a part of making cloth diapering both accessible and acceptable to U.S. parents.

Please help us grow this resource. Do you have a news story to share with RDA? Please email us with a link if it is an online article, or put it in the mail addressed to Real Diaper Association, ATTN: Cloth Diapering in the News, P.O. Box 156887, San Francisco, CA 94115. We will give credit when it is posted.

The Buzz on RDA   |  The Buzz on Cloth Diapers  

THE BUZZ ON RDA

Green Sexy, March 16, 2008
The Diaper Dilemma
by Steven & Karin Choi
"Cost aside, there are other issues related to disposable diapers---health issues. According to the Real Diaper Association, disposable diapers contain trace amounts of dioxin, a toxic byproduct of the paper bleaching process. "

Duluth News Tribune, February 18, 2008
Britt couple finds success selling cloth diapers (subscription only)
by Peter Passi
"The Real Diaper Association, a nonprofit organization that promotes the use of cloth diapers, estimates that Americans use 27.4 billion disposable diapers. . . ."

Mothering Magazine Activism Alerts: June 2006
Who Knows About Cloth Diapers?

LOCAL DIAPER CIRCLE ON AIR! On June 7, 2006 the local diaper circle of RDA in Everett, Washington had it's first Public Service Announcement air on KSER 90.7FM. It aired during a mid-day time slot and garnered local response by phone as well as email. This PSA will continue to be heard on a weekly basis by local listeners as well as over the live internet stream worldwide.

RDA BEGINS REAL DIAPER GIVEAWAY AND PUBLISHES MEMBERS' BLOG! On May 30, 2006 RDA began The Real Diaper Giveaway as a way to get more cloth diapers on the babies that need them.

Blogging Baby: October 5, 2005
Cloth diapering resources on the web.
"From the pages of the Northwest Baby and Child newspaper comes this helpful list of cloth diapering resources on the web."

RDA RECEIVES TAX EXEMPT STATUS: We just received confirmation that on July 7, 2005, the IRS determined RDA to be tax exempt under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. What does that mean to our contributors? All 2005 First-Time and Renewal Membership donations are now tax-deductible!

ABC News Technology & Science: May 26, 2005
The Diaper Debate: Are Disposables as Green as Cloth?
"If you're trying to reduce your environmental impact, you can do that significantly by using cloth diapers," said Lori Taylor, a Buffalo, N.Y., mother and co-founder of the non-profit Real Diaper Association. "It's all in the way you wash them, how many you have and the kind of reusable diaper you use."

NWPC (National Waste Prevention Coalition)
01 June 2005 Waste Prevention Forum Archive

Mothering Magazine Activism Alerts: April 2005
Demystify Cloth Diapering

State of California: Integrated Waste Management Board
Waste Prevention Information Exchange: Health Care Waste
Diaper Waste Prevention

Earth Day Network Programs/Events
Ask Me About Cloth Diapers Earth Day 2005 Campaign

Global Recycling Council
Actions Page

Mothering Magazine News Bulletins: August 2004
Get Wrapped Up in Cloth Diapering

THE BUZZ ON CLOTH DIAPERS

Asheville Citizen-Times, March 16, 2008
Baby goes green: Organic clothes, toys for young children a rising trend
by Dale Neal
"'I never put plastic on their bottoms,' Cannon recalled. Because she was living in Japan at the time, 'I was able to find all these cool baby things.'

"But finding natural diapers and other clothing without any harmful chemicals was harder in the U.S. a quarter century ago."

Des Moines Register, March 13, 2008
Switching to cloth diapers
by Erin Crawford
"A few weeks ago, a local business owner issued a challenge: Try cloth diapers."

San Diego Daily Transcript, March 11, 2008
Money in the Morning
by George Chamberlin
"Congratulations to Linda Byerline, founder and CEO of Happy Heiny's of El Cajon. It was announced this morning that she has been selected as a winner of the 2008 Working Mother magazine's Entrepreneur Mom Award."

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 7, 2008
What to get this spring's flock of new green babies
by K.C. Ridihalgh
"Cloth diaper starter packs. Many of the diaper sites put together a "boot camp" version of their products. This will get everyone off on the right foot."

Mothering Magazine, March 2008
Cloth Diaper Comeback
"Cloth diapers are easier, cheaper, more convenient, and less wasteful than disposables. Find out why in 'Dumping Disposable Diapers' and 'The ABCs of Going Cloth,' two complementary articles in the March-April 2008 issue of Mothering magazine that outline how to make a smooth transition to cloth."

"Join Mothering at the Seattle Green Festival, April 12 & 13th. Visit our booth in the Kids Zone and learn about the practical aspects of cloth diapering from The Real Diaper Association. Subscribe to our print or digital edition at the festival and enter to win a Cloth Diaper Kit."

CBS 42 keyetv.com, February 28, 2008
Cloth diapers are making a comeback
by Elizabeth Dannheim
"Cloth diapers may sound old school, but actually they're making a comeback, especially here in Austin, where the green movement is going strong."

The Daily Times, February 21, 2008
German brothers find a market in Salisbury for cloth diapers
by Jackie Jennings
"Stephan Kalinski, 26 and single with no children of his own, is probably the last person one would expect to find folding cloth diapers into baby-friendly configurations. But as he sits at a conference table in the old Wicomico airport, it is clear he knows exactly what he is doing: a fold here, a tuck there, and a plastic "Snappi" to hold it all together."

BC Local News, February 20, 2008
Store wants to strengthen families
by Kerstin Renner
"There is no question about who is the center of attention at Bumble Tree, the new business on Ninth Street. Nestled between a barber shop and a jewelry store, the Bumble Tree often bustles with activity as the youngest members of the community sample the products from cool wooden tractors to soft cotton dolls...Other specialty items are cloth diapers, organic cotton clothing, soft-soled 'Stones' winter footwear - to be worn over regular shoes - and Swiss-made SIGG metal water bottles."

Northwest Herald, February 20, 2008
Mama nature: Start saving the Earth at the moment of birth
by Geneva White
"For many parents, caring for their babies is an exercise in green living... And then there’s the mother of all green parenting – using cloth diapers instead of those oh-so-convenient disposables. Environmental experts estimate the average baby undergoes at least 2,500 to 5,000 diaper changes by the time he or she is potty-trained."

Duluth News Tribune, February 18, 2008
Britt couple finds success selling cloth diapers
A Britt couple’s business was born of a stubborn sore on their daughter’s bottom. Hope Wilson shakes her head as she recalls the discomfort of her first child, Mackenzie. “She had a diaper rash that we couldn’t get rid of,” Wilson said. Finally, someone suggested Hope and Jess Wilson switch from disposable to cloth diapers, and the rest is history.

Portland Press Herald, February 15, 2008
by Matt Wickenheiser
Cutting Her Teeth in E-Commerce
"Disposable diapers are a significant expense. Although it costs about $400 as an initial investment to get started in cloth diapers, a family can save about $2,500 over two years, said Wels. And if they're taken care of properly, diapers can be used for younger siblings, too. Her business exploded as she focused on various brands of cloth diapers. "

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 23, 2008
Cloth diapers hold piles of money for local company
by Valerie Schremp Hahn
"These are not the cloth diapers you might have worn as a baby. They're certainly not the diapers your parents wore...These diapers, branded bumGenius, were created by local husband-wife team Jenn and Jimmy Labit, and are one of the best-selling brands in the growing cloth diaper market. That's right. A growing cloth diaper market."

Norwich Bulletin, January 13, 2008
Parents opting for cloth diapers over disposables
by Fran Kefalas
"People are so much more aware of what they are consuming now," Salegna said. "The environment is the No. 1 reason we see people cloth diapering."

Bethel Citizen, January 2008
Entrepreneur finds a niche in cyber nappies
by Alison Aloisio
Profile: RDA Member Kelly Wels of Kelly's Closet
"Wels owns an Internet business, 'Kelly’s Closet,' from which she sells modern cloth diapers out of her Waterford home."

Northwest Arkansas Times, January 2, 2008
Natural Baby Store "Not Just Hippie Stuff"
by Marsha L. Melnichak
Dominating the shop are boxes of cloth diapers and the bright, decorated diaper covers that go with them. "That was our platform. That's why we opened," she said. Terra Tots offers five brands of cloth diapers.

TIME Magazine, January 2008
Diapers Go Green
by Pamela Paul
[I]t may come as a surprise to learn that cloth diapering is making a comeback.

The Ithaca Journal (New York), November 14, 2007
Sustainability drives Diaper Duty: Ithaca-owned firm delivers, takes away cloth diapers
by Linda Stout
So when [Jesse Hill] learned that the diaper service he used for his son was for sale several years ago, he bought it. Cottontails was a Syracuse-based business with most of its clients in the Ithaca area, Hill said. He changed the name to Diaper Duty. Hill drops off and picks up diapers for his clients, he said.

Community Impact Newspaper (Round Rock, Texas), November 2007
Closer Look: Tiny Bird Organics: Children's shop promotes earth-friendly styles, by Beth Wade
Local paper profile of store that sells organic cloth diapers.

Lawrence Journal-World, November 6, 2007
From the cloth: Lawrence families get behind reusable diapers for their environmental, economic benefits
“The reason I didn’t do cloth diapers with my first son is because I didn’t have any examples. It seemed intimidating to me,” Beverly says. “I want people to have an opportunity to learn about it and see some moms who do it.”

LiveEarth.org, October 10, 2007
Cloth or Disposable -- Diapers, of course!
As part of their series, Climate Crisis Solutions, LiveEarth.org asked for comments on diapers.

Waterloo Chronicle, October 10, 2007
Diapers n' More's new location has more selection for shoppers.
"Opening a store like Diapers n' More, at 55 Erb St. E., was something Helen Mahy has dreamed about doing for decades, ever since her daughter developed an allergy to perfume and wasn't able to wear disposable diapers. "We got into using cloth diapers, and I always wanted to be able to educate people on that and have them available because there just was nothing available," she said."

Tennessean.com, September 24, 2007
Cloth diapers get makeover in fit, variety.
Great focus on local parents running a small diaper service and retail stores online. The also have a local meet up.
"Several Middle Tennessee families are ditching disposables and joining the cloth diaper movement because they believe cloth is kinder to the environment, gentler on their babies' tushies and better for the bottom line."

Toledo Blade , September 23, 2007
The diaper decision: Disposables or cloth? Both have their supporters.
Two local parents teach cloth diapering classes.
"[T]hey had tried and then given up on cloth diapers at one time because they didn’t have enough information and didn’t know anyone they could turn to for answers. Now that they know more, they want to help other parents who might be using disposables because they aren’t aware of today’s cloth diaper options or don’t know enough about using them."

Asbury Park Press, September 14, 2007
Diaper Dilemna - Cloth may be safer for baby, Mother Earth.
"Diapers may not seem much of a topic for conversation, until you're changing 10 or more a day. Then you start thinking about them. You start thinking about chemicals and landfills and how much money they cost. And then, if you're Julia Clark, you discover a new old solution — in colorful prints, microfiber and Velcro. These are not your mama's cloth diapers."

Asheville Citizen-Times, September 10, 2007
Women launch organic baby store in West Asheville.
"When Sonja Hernandez gave birth to her son and couldn’t find a store that carried the baby products she wanted, she did what any new mother would do — she partnered with a friend and opened her own shop."

Savannah Morning News, September 5, 2007
Internet spurs cloth diaper comeback.
"Cloth diapers used to disgust Faye Butler. "My impression of cloth diapers was always a faint memory of plain white flat cotton cloths and hot vinyl Gerber pants," Butler said. "And that you were supposed to dunk a cloth diaper in the toilet. Who wants to do that?"

Cookie, September 2007
Diaper Duties
by Josh Sens
"Like composting and Prius ownership, opting for cloth diapers has a virtuous glow—it's a sign of your willingness to tiptoe lightly across the earth."

Fort Morgan Times, August 31, 2007
Local women provide diapers to Haiti.
"The Thimbleberries Club, about 50 people who enjoy sewing and, Hocheder said, gathering together to be friends, has already pitched in for Haitians.
They made more than 120 cloth diapers and a couple of dozen receiving blankets and purchased a couple of dozen pairs of plastic pants to send to the Caribbean island nation, where poorer families average $90 to $300 a year.
The Thimbleberries are providing cloth diapers so they can be washed and used again; the diapers are made so they can be tied together, since many Haitian women do not have diaper pins.

Burlington Free Press, August 23, 2007
Bebop Baby Shop opens in Essex Junction.
"Cloth diapers are kind of my big thing," Ryan said. "I don't wear paper underwear, and I don't want my baby to, either."

Leader Post, August 11, 2007
Cloth diapers back in style.
"The retro business of bundling babies' bottoms is making its way to Saskatchewan, one cloth diaper at a time."

Kennebec Journal, August 2007
Boutique caters to natural parenting.
"Founder Heidi MacIsaac said the idea of opening a store that sold the products she wanted to use for her children started last spring. She began searching online for the new generation of cloth diapers. Unlike the clunky ones from a generation ago, these are easy to use and earth-friendly. She said in the process, she discovered a new world."

Beacon News, August 15, 2007
'A business based on poop'.
"Pamela Kopcio didn't know what to do when her second child, Annalyse, suffered a never-ending bout with diaper rash. She tried creams and medications. She sought advice from her doctor. She purchased various disposable diaper products. At last she thought the unthinkable -- How 'bout cloth diapers?"

Cincinnati City Beat, August 8, 2007
Wrap your baby in Cotton, not Plastic.
"Cloth diapers are an easy-to-use, inexpensive and environmentally friendly alternative to landfill destined disposables."

MLive.com, August 6, 2007
Tree City Diapers Keeps Changing from Basement to Store.
" Molly Ging always assumed she would cloth-diaper her children, because she had worn cloth diapers as a baby. What she didn't expect was to have so few choices of cloth diapers or services in environment-friendly Ann Arbor.

NBC5.com, Chicago, Illinois, August 2, 2007
Cloth Diaper Company Wants to Make Old New Again.
"...more than 90 percent of today's babies are in disposable diapers. But there is a green movement to go back in time..."
See the video version of this story.

Metro Mode, August 2, 2007
Green Space: Baby's First Word Might Be Sustainability!
"Lastly, the dreaded diaper debate. There are people who say that cloth diapers are not more sustainable than disposable ones because of the waste inherent in washing them. Nice try, but the fact remains, the 6,000 diapers the average baby will wear do not decompose for hundreds of years."

People Magazine, July 9, 2007
Dave Matthews Goes Green with Eco-Friendly Diapers.
"Rock star Dave Matthews's infant son, August, is getting an early lesson in environmental protection: He wears reusable cloth diapers rather than the disposable kind."

The Times-Record, July 9, 2007
Reuse or Dispose; Local mom discovers cloth diapers save money and are eco-friendly
Sarah Hedberg writes about her experience with cloth diapers.
"Environmental concerns and saving money were, and are, my main motivations for using cloth diapers. But could I stick with it? "

Maine Coast Now.com
Me and the bee.
RDA business member Jennifer Moore Temple of Buzzie Bee Diapers writes a regular column about cloth diapering in her local newspaper. The column appears every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month.

Natural Family Online, November 9, 2006
Dispose of Your Disposables!
Living outside the box isn’t as hard as you might think. The answer is as close as that old stand-by our grandmothers and great-grandmothers relied on: cloth.

Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, September 23, 2006
Ex-botany teacher puts future in cloth diapers.
RDA business member Shannon Doan of Wildflower Diapers is profiled in her local newspaper.
"[T]here's a significant saving by using cloth diapers. Doan says it costs about $1,000 a year to keep a child in disposable diapers, and for $350 you can buy enough cloth diapers to last until that great day when toilet-training takes."

Women's Environmental Network: New research shows misconceptions about cloth nappies, London, UK, August 1, 2006
Easier than expected.
"Three-quarters of parents who have no experience of cloth nappies have outdated ideas far from the reality of using modern nappies."

Times Union: Caring Communities, Albany, New York, July 18, 2006
Simple life liberates adherents from stress.
"We might not have the money we used to, but we don't need it. A sign of their changed ways is opting for cloth diapers."

Tri-State Online: Local, Arizona, Nevada, California, July 12, 2006
LA Mom gives birth to quadruplets 3 years after having triplets.
"When the older girls are at school and her husband is at work, a friend has offered to help with the newborns and the triplets. All seven are in cloth diapers that have to be changed and laundered."

Green Bay Press-Gazette: Local, Green Bay, WI, June 30, 2006
Mission keeps children warm around the world.
"After Hurricane Katrina, the mission sent cloth diapers for use by infants of displayed people along the Gulf Coast."

WCF Courier: Lifestyles, Cedar Falls, Cedar Falls, IA, June 17, 2006
Moms tout benefits of washable diapers.
"One mentions cloth diapering and people immediately think of folding, pinning and rubber pants and close that off as an option. But that is the stone-age era of cloth diapering."

Press and Sun-Bulletin: News, Greater Binghamton, NY, May 14, 2006
Super Mom: 60 babies & counting. Vestal woman an intermediary in adoption process.
"A self-described "old-fashioned" woman, Caveny prefers to dress the babies in cloth diapers -- she just placed an order for four dozen"

The Coloradoan: Local, April 24, 2006
Diaper duo tackles misperceptions of cloth.
"Their small business delivers fresh cloth diapers to households in Northern Colorado and Denver and picks up customers' used diapers once a week.

"The biggest hurdle the business faces is the perception that cloth diapers are not a viable option, said Irene Watterson."

The Charlotte Observer: Local » North Carolina, April 17, 2006
This land is yours and mine. Take small steps to help environment, reconsider disposables.
"Alas, with my children now more independent and Earth Day almost upon us, I find my thoughts are drifting dumpwards again. According to a 2004 report from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources our state is continuing "a trend of increasing the amount of solid waste requiring disposal."

Southbendtribune.com: Earth Day Primer, April 17, 2006
Sharing thoughts on making a better world.
"It's easy to take small steps in your life to help the environment. For me, with an infant, I've decided to use cloth diapers. I wash them in a high-efficiency washer and hang them to dry, and they're ready by the next morning."

Falls Church News Press: Local » Northern Virginia, March 2-8, 2006
Local Mom Turns Entrepreneur, Offers Advice.
"Sprague’s business doesn’t just benefit customers, though. She also donates funds and cloth diapers to miraclediapers.com, a non-profit organization that supplies cloth diapers to low income families. Another feature of the website is the list of blogs, which Jennifer says supply the latest expert parenting articles and advice."

Burlington Free Press: Local » Vermont, January 22, 2006
The debate on disposable diapers.
"Saturday afternoon, Landry presented a seminar at City Market on the benefits of cloth diapers compared with disposable diapers, and while the issue is still open for debate over what is best for children and the environment, Landry's position was compelling for those in attendance."

Delaware Online: Delaware Parent » Article, November 27, 2005
Pin on a fashionable diaper.
"It's a Friday afternoon and I'm stalking a retail Web site, hitting Refresh every few minutes and waiting for new products to be loaded. But I'm not in the hunt for what you might think -- this holiday season's most sought-after toy or a limited edition designer purse. I'm shopping for cloth diapers."

Manitoban Online: Volume 93, Issue 13, November 21, 2005
Sustainable Alternatives.
"The problem: Massive volumes of waste come in the form of disposable items such as Kleenex, diapers and feminine hygiene products. The use of diapers alone leaves behind an estimated 2.7 tons of garbage per child. The solution: No one is suggesting reusable toilet paper, but it is easy enough to revert to things like hankies and cloth diapers."

MSNBC: Business » Small Business, November 16, 2005
105 Service Businesses to Start Today. Service with a smile -- and a profit.
"Diaper Delivery. Whoever said cloth diapers couldn't be convenient--and user-friendly? Velcro diaper "wraps" replace awkward pins, and pickup and delivery take the dirty work out of diapering."

Village Soup Times: Business, October 5, 2005
A dirty job, but somebody wants to do it.
Jennifer Temple of Buzzie Bee Diapers is the owner, operator, driver, and cleaner for her home-based cloth diaper service.
"Home diaper service, in which fresh cloth diapers are delivered weekly, has in most cases gone the way of the milkman and the afternoon home-delivered newspaper. Temple is reviving the home-spun business in Rockland, where the last such service died 15 years ago."

PregnancyandBaby.com: October 1, 2005
Hello cloth, good bye disposables.
"The idea that a disposable is more absorbent is a moot point. On the packaging, it says that a baby should be changed when wet or soiled. The fact that the diaper can hold large amounts is irrelevant. To leave a child in a disposable until maximum capacity is reached is unthinkable, so that argument isn't valid."

OregonLive.com: July 17, 2005
Bare-bottom babies. A small but committed number of parents shun diapers for their infants, saying it just works better.
"Rawlinson and her daughters are part of a tiny but growing number of families in the United States, Canada, Germany and other modernized nations around the world that are ditching the diaper and embracing the way humans had raised their babies for millennia."

Arrive Net: New Products | Press Releases July 11, 2005
Little Monkey Inc. launches online shopping boutique with an original pledge.
"Little Monkey Inc. has recently developed the unique Hand-Me-Down Pledge ™. This promotion gives consumers the option to pass along purchased products to family and friends and ultimately return them to Little Monkey Inc. after they have been fully used or outgrown. The items will then be replaced with new products of equal or greater retail value and donated to a variety of local Children's Charitable organizations."

The Boston Globe - Living/Arts: July 5, 2005
Look, Ma, no diaper! Some local parents are embracing a technique for potty training infants
"Hannah was 4 days old when Rothstein first "caught" her before she actually went to the bathroom, and Hannah has been going in a potty ever since. Rothstein sometimes lays out cloth diapers under her to sop up any "accidents." And she uses little cloth training pants when they go out."

Rochester Democrat & Chronicle - Business: June 27, 2005
Going for the Gold in Diapers: Entrepreneurs See Opportunity in Cloth Care
"Susan Mraz has a degree in business and seven years' experience as a loan underwriter at a major U.S. bank. Who would have guessed she'd end up smelling opportunity in baby bottoms?"

Pregnancy & Baby - Baby Health: June 2, 2005
Going Green: Options for Your Baby
"Today, cloth diapers are priced competitively if you use a diaper service, though buying a set of diapers and washing them yourself is much cheaper. Many people use disposables for convenience. Others use cloth (typically a cotton or cotton/hemp blend) because they feel it's better for the environment and for their babies."

Tampa Bay Times - Living & Style: June 1, 2005
Potty Prodigies
"Seamus Fitzpatrick woke up from his nap and looked around the room sleepily. His mother took his cloth diaper off and placed him on a small, white plastic potty. Within a minute the sound of urine hitting plastic could be heard. Mission accomplished."

NY Times - Schoolwork: May 22, 2005
Questions for Margaret Spelling, the first Secretary of Education with school-age children.
"Oh, I nursed my daughters for a year and nine months -- one for a year and one for nine months. And I used cloth diapers and made my own baby food, and I didn't put my kids on a bunch of antibiotics."

CBC Health & Science News: May 20, 2005
British Diaper Study Causes Flap
"Elizabeth Hartigan of the Women's Environment Network said the sample size for assessing the way parents use cloth diapers was too small and so it was unfair to draw conclusions."

NY Times Archive - National Desk: April 28, 2005
'Soccer Mom' Education Chief Plays Hardball for Bush Team'
"I would just say that I nursed my kids for a long time; I made my own baby food," Ms Spellings told repoerters at a press breakfast. " I mean I used cloth diapers, not Pampers."

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: May 19,2005
Marvin Comic
"You prefer paper or plastic?"

Mobile Register: May 8, 2005
Mother-daughter diaper duo finds success on the Web
"Martha Yim, 30, of Daphne gave birth to an idea and her mother, 61-year-old Ann Troutman of Atmore, helped her deliver it. The product is one that only a mom could love: custom-fitted cloth diapers."

Clovis News Journal: May 8, 2005
Let's hear it for the moms
"Married three years, Campbell believes in mothering the natural way, with cloth diapers, breast feeding, and being there every millisecond for all her child’s needs."

Mid ColumbiaTri-City Herald: May 8, 2005
Role of a Lifetime
"As a mother of nine, Joan Casper spent nearly seven years pregnant, changed 40,000 cloth diapers and had children in her home for 36 years, said her daughter Lisa Merrill of Merrill's Corner."

If you find articles about cloth diapering in the online or off-line news, please contact us.