Green Diapering 101: Reducing Your Baby's Carbon Bumprint

Over 18 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills each year in the U.S. alone. That staggering statistic should be enough to make any parent question what can be done to reduce their baby's carbon bumprint. There are several options that are greener than using disposable diapers, but if you want to stick with disposables, some brands are better than others with regard to their environmental impact.

The Honest Company, Elements Naturals, Seventh Generation, Tushies, and Bambo Nature make diapers from natural, nontoxic and plant-based materials that are said to biodegrade more easily and rapidly than mainstream counterparts like Huggies. Elements Naturals is even debuting a compostable diaper this summer.

Of course, a better route for diapering is cloth diapering, which is becoming an easier endeavor as companies continue to pioneer new and convenient eco-friendly diapering systems for parents. Check out gDiapers flushable hybrid diapering system which pairs a flushable insert with adorable cloth diaper covers. Charlie Banana is also making it a decidedly chic endeavor to put baby in cloth diapers with their designer fashion collections of bold and vibrant diaper covers. There's also an array of stylish green diapers for summer that you can't miss!

There's no need to be intimidated by the thought of cloth diapering. Peruse these 5 reasons to choose cloth diapers, and then learn about how to get started with cloth diapering and how to gather all of the cloth diapering essentials you'll need to make this regimen a success, as well as how to home launder your cloth diapers. There's even great green detergent for getting cloth diapers squeaky clean.

Or, you could skip diapers all together and try elimination communication. Potty training your child before age 2and infant potty training are becoming increasingly popular practices.