DIAPER LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS
Advisers: Jay Turner, Rebecca Chibnall, Angela Hobson
Over the course of the last 20 years, traditional cloth diapers have evolved from primarily cotton pre-folds, fitteds, or flats with vinyl or rubber covers to polyester stay-dry microfiber materials with breathable polyurethane outer layers. This shift in design to materials that facilitate breathability and moisture wicking has made modern reusable diapers less likely to cause diaper dermatitis than previous cloth diapers. Subsequently, modern reusable diapers are now more accepted in mainstream parenting communities; yet, disposable diapers continue to be the diapering option of choice for most parents in the developed world. Previous life cycle analyses comparing cloth and disposable diapers have been performed in the UK, most recently in 2008. These studies were extensive but came with many assumptions that were not standard practice for modern disposable and cloth diapers. Additionally, these studies were heavily industry sponsored which raises questions regarding the objectivity of their results. More recent analyses have focused on disposable diapers but not reusable diapers. A 2013 review article demonstrates the limitations of previous analyses and provides a good starting point for this project.
The Fall 2017 Diaper LCA group focused on creating a materials inventory for disposable and reusable diapers, as well as creating a survey for real use practices. The data from the survey will aid in future understanding of realistic use and diaper conceptions.