Disposable Diapers: Negative Effects On The Environment

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The average baby uses between 6-8 disposable diapers a day. That means one baby will use between 6,500-10,000 diapers before being potty trained. That is a lot of diapers that have to go into landfills. 20 billion diapers are thrown away to landfills each year. Diapers take many natural resources to make. They also take a very long time to decompose in landfills giving off harmful chemicals in the air during the process. Consumers must be aware of the negative effects diapers make on the environment and how they affect social issues.

First, diapers have made negative impacts on the Earth’s environment, because they use a lot of natural resources that we need for other items. It is clear that producers should find other ways

It is clear that cities should find different ways to dispose diapers. (Transition) some people may think that diapers decompose into the earth within 50 or 100 years, but that is not true. Keefer explains, “diapers take about 500 years to decompose” (Keefer). Disposable diapers take so long to decompose that the landfills never have the chance to not have diapers. They take so long to decompose that while they are sitting in the landfills they release violent chemicals into the air. “decomposing diapers also release methane, a highly explosive and flammable gas into the air” (Keefer). The gas can harm people around landfills and also people who work in landfills. Because diapers take so long to decompose they could contaminate the groundwater due to the “viruses excreted in a baby’s feces” (Keefer) that leak out of the baby’s diaper. This could be a danger to the surrounding neighborhoods. The people using the water could become very sick from the viruses. Clearly, cities should find other places to bring the used disposable diapers instead of

Clearly, consumers should not recycle diapers. (Transition) Yardly's article explains how recycling diapers can not be a positive change. He states, “Residents complain about strong smells from garbage that has stewed in the driveway” (Yardley). Even though people may think recycling disposable diapers is a positive change for helping the environment that is not also true. Recycling does not get picked up every week like normal garbage does. That means the diapers roast out in the garbage for a longer amount a time giving off a horrid smell. Some cities have switched to recycling diapers though. Yardley explains, “dirty diapers make up only a small amount of the contamination… that doesn’t make it any less disgusting for the workers at the recycling plant”(Yardly). The workers at the plant have to pick out all the diapers that are put in recycling and that can be extremely