Disposable diapers make up 30% of our non-biodegradable waste. In fact, the average Canadian produces a little over 1700 pounds in waste per year—not including the extra one to two tons that disposable diapers add to the mix (per child).
This is a heavy burden for the environment to carry, as disposable diapers can take hundreds of years to decompose. Yes—even the “eco-friendly” ones, as they can’t break down unless they are exposed to light, which is a rarity in a landfill. While cloth diapers have always been an option, many parents have opted for disposable diapers due to convenience—who has time to deal with cloth diapers, right? Fortunately, cloth diapers aren’t what they used to be—in fact, the recent developments in reusable diapers make it easy to make the switch—a decision that the MRC Haut-Saint-Laurent stands behind with their decision to supply a $50 to $100 grant to parents wishing to make the swap. The deadline to take advantage of this offer is end of January 2017.
The grant is to encourage parents to make the initial investment into reusable diapers, which can cost anywhere from $200-$500 initially. Fortunately, this cost is a one-time deal (most diapers are one-size, converting to fit the child as he/she grows), unless you opt for inserts, which are about $10 for a pack of a hundred. This amount may seem high, but it is minimal compared to the cost of disposable diapers throughout a child’s lifetime—which can add up to $1,800 per child. Considering the difference in overall cost and the impact that disposable diapers have on the environment, it seems like cloth diapers are presenting a fairly convincing case to parents thinking of making the switch.
The cloth diaper grant is part of a larger initiative put forward by the MRC’s plan to address solid waste management. The main goal is to reduce the amount of waste in the area, part of the Quebec government’s Environmental Quality Act, according to MRC’s project manager Émilie Escafit, who joined the MRC in April of 2015.
