| Author | Message | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3301 Registered: 7-2009 |
Some enthusiasts of a certain product swear that it is good for the environment, though in reality the evidence is not at all conclusive. But at our house, using the product has resulted in an unexpected environmental benefit that is unlikely be included in any study about the product's environmental impacts. What's the product, and what's the unexpected benefit? | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 2959 Registered: 12-2010 |
Is the product bigger than a hand? a loaf of bread? a chair? a table? a car? Is it electronic? Is it made of plastic? metal? fabric? wood? stone? At your house, do you use it for its actual purpose? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3302 Registered: 7-2009 |
Is the product bigger than a hand? yes a loaf of bread? comparable to this a chair? a table? a car? no to rest Is it electronic? no Is it made of plastic? metal? fabric? this one wood? stone? At your house, do you use it for its actual purpose? yes | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1840 Registered: 4-2007 |
Is it a doorstop? To use it as intended, do you leave it in the house? Take it out? Does it stay in one place? Do you move it around? Is it roughly the same shape as a loaf of bread? According to the "enthusiasts", does it help the environment by: Reducing your energy consumption? Reducing your water consumption? Reducing the amount of waste you throw away? Facilitating recycling? Reducing pollution? Is the unexpected benefit it has for you related to any of the above? Did you get the item because you thought it would help the environment in the normal way? Does it also help in this way for you? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3303 Registered: 7-2009 |
Is it a doorstop? a fabric doorstop?? No. To use it as intended, do you leave it in the house? Take it out? Does it stay in one place? Do you move it around? it can be used anywhere Is it roughly the same shape as a loaf of bread? no According to the "enthusiasts", does it help the environment by: Reducing your energy consumption? Reducing your water consumption? Reducing the amount of waste you throw away? primarily this one Facilitating recycling? Reducing pollution? Is the unexpected benefit it has for you related to any of the above? yes, to reducing energy consumption Did you get the item because you thought it would help the environment in the normal way? yope. Reducing the amount of waste generated was a definite perk, but not the only reason. Does it also help in this way for you? yes | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1841 Registered: 4-2007 |
I was imagining the kind that's like a heavy beanbag, a fabric case filled with sand. Does having the item allow you to buy less? To use more of what you buy? To let less go to waste? Is it a bag? Does it reduce your energy consumption regarding electricity? Gas? Petrol? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 3573 Registered: 2-2011 |
is it a curtain? or blanket? clothing? a hat? does just one person use it? or is it for general use? | ||
| Jumpingjack (Jumpingjack)
New member Username: Jumpingjack Post Number: 1532 Registered: 3-2006 |
Do disposable versions of this product exist? If so, is it more common for people to use the disposable version of it? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3304 Registered: 7-2009 |
I was imagining the kind that's like a heavy beanbag, a fabric case filled with sand. ah, ok. I forgot about those. Does having the item allow you to buy less? yes To use more of what you buy? no To let less go to waste? no, it doesn't help other stuff last longer (is that what you were asking?) Is it a bag? no Does it reduce your energy consumption regarding electricity? this one Gas? Petrol? is it a curtain? or blanket? clothing? yope a hat? no to rest does just one person use it? yes or is it for general use? no Do disposable versions of this product exist? yes If so, is it more common for people to use the disposable version of it? yes | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1843 Registered: 4-2007 |
Is it a reusable nappy? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3305 Registered: 7-2009 |
Is it a reusable nappy? yes (nappy = diaper, right?) So the product is reusable cloth diapers, and a known environmental benefit is that you generate less garbage by using them (which may or may not be cancelled out in terms of environmental impact by the amount of water and energy it takes to wash them each week, depending on what study you read). Anyway, generating less waste is the expected environmental benefit. But what is the unexpected environmental benefit experienced at our house? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1846 Registered: 4-2007 |
Yeah, nappy = diaper :-) Do you use the nappies solely for the usual purpose? Relevant how many children you have? How old they are? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3308 Registered: 7-2009 |
Do you use the nappies solely for the usual purpose? yes Relevant how many children you have? no How old they are? only that they're diaper-wearing age | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1847 Registered: 4-2007 |
Is the way it reduces your electricity consumption related to: the fact you throw away fewer used nappies? The act of washing them? The fact you have to buy nappies less often? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 3578 Registered: 2-2011 |
is the benefit concerned with washing them? number of trips to the store to buy them? the effect they have on the wearer? | ||
| Deholmes (Deholmes)
New member Username: Deholmes Post Number: 3 Registered: 11-2012 |
Are these nappies your families or do you subscribe to a diaper service? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3309 Registered: 7-2009 |
Is the way it reduces your electricity consumption related to: none of these, but... the fact you throw away fewer used nappies? The act of washing them? ...this is closest The fact you have to buy nappies less often? also none of these, but... is the benefit concerned with washing them?...again, this is closest number of trips to the store to buy them? the effect they have on the wearer? Are these nappies your family's yes or do you subscribe to a diaper service? no | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 2966 Registered: 12-2010 |
Is drying them relevant? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3310 Registered: 7-2009 |
Is drying them relevant? yes | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1850 Registered: 4-2007 |
Do you dry them in a tumble dryer? On a line? If so, inside? Outside? | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 2969 Registered: 12-2010 |
Do you dry them in the tumble dryer? Do you hang them up? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 3581 Registered: 2-2011 |
is it that there is less leakage with a terry nappy so the outer clothes don't have to be changed so frequently? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3311 Registered: 7-2009 |
Do you dry them in a tumble dryer? sometimes On a line? sometimes If so, inside? no Outside? yes Do you dry them in the tumble dryer? Do you hang them up? I think you and Enjay cross posted. See above is it that there is less leakage with a terry nappy so the outer clothes don't have to be changed so frequently? no, but I love this lateral answer. It probably is true, actually, but it wasn't what I was looking for. | ||
| Jumpingjack (Jumpingjack)
New member Username: Jumpingjack Post Number: 1534 Registered: 3-2006 |
Is the fact that the diapers are hanging outside relevant? Do they attract people? animals? insects? Repel people? animals? insects? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1852 Registered: 4-2007 |
Relevant how many cloth nappies you own? How often you have to wash/dry them? Relevant that it takes a while to wash and dry, so you would need to have a clean one on standby before changing your baby? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3312 Registered: 7-2009 |
Is the fact that the diapers are hanging outside relevant? yope Do they attract people? animals? insects? Repel people? animals? insects? no to all Relevant how many cloth nappies you own? How often you have to wash/dry them? Relevant that it takes a while to wash and dry, so you would need to have a clean one on standby before changing your baby? no to all | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1853 Registered: 4-2007 |
Would you still get this advantage if you always tumbled dried them? If you always hung them outside? Always hung them inside? Is the method of washing them relevant? Washing machine? By hand? Are there any other relevant objects that you wash/dry? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3313 Registered: 7-2009 |
Would you still get this advantage if you always tumbled dried them? no If you always hung them outside? yes Always hung them inside? no Is the method of washing them relevant? no Washing machine? By hand? Are there any other relevant objects that you wash/dry?yes - good question | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 2978 Registered: 12-2010 |
The other relevant objects - clothing? towels? kitchen accesories? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3314 Registered: 7-2009 |
The other relevant objects - clothing? yes towels? yes kitchen accesories? you mean like an apron or dish rag? sure | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 2981 Registered: 12-2010 |
So, usual laundry? Before you had reusable nappies, did you tumble dry everything? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 3585 Registered: 2-2011 |
or did you tumble dry nothing? and having the nappies to dry you have got into the habit? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3316 Registered: 7-2009 |
So, usual laundry? yes Before you had reusable nappies, did you tumble dry everything? yes or did you tumble dry nothing? no and having the nappies to dry you have got into the habit? so, no | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1854 Registered: 4-2007 |
Can the nappies not be tumble dried? Do you have so much drying to do that it won't all fit? Is it better for them to line dry them? Is the environmental benefit that it reduces the amount you use your dryer? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3317 Registered: 7-2009 |
Can the nappies not be tumble dried? they can, but the sun is good for them Do you have so much drying to do that it won't all fit? no Is it better for them to line dry them? yes Is the environmental benefit that it reduces the amount you use your dryer? yes - how? | ||
| Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet)
New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1734 Registered: 6-2005 |
Do the diapers wick away so much moisture in the washer that all other articles you wash with them are dry when you pull them out? So they don't need to go through the dryer? Or get hung on a line? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1897 Registered: 4-2007 |
Do you feel that if you're going to hang out the nappies, you might as well hang out the other laundry, thus not using the dryer? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3319 Registered: 7-2009 |
Do the diapers wick away so much moisture in the washer that all other articles you wash with them are dry when you pull them out? no (so, no to the others) So they don't need to go through the dryer? Or get hung on a line? Do you feel that if you're going to hang out the nappies, you might as well hang out the other laundry, thus not using the dryer? no, but somewhat ORT | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1901 Registered: 4-2007 |
Is there some reason why you can't dry other clothes at the same time as the nappies? Eg they create a lot of fluff that sticks to your clothes? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3321 Registered: 7-2009 |
Is there some reason why you can't dry other clothes at the same time as the nappies? well, yes - I have a full load of diapers each time, so I wash and dry diapers separate from other laundry Eg they create a lot of fluff that sticks to your clothes? no | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4811 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did you not have a clothesline before? Or did you have one but not use it? Do you air dry other clothes now simply because hanging laundry outside has become a habit? Or does it affect the laundry in a pleasant way, leading you or your family to desire sun-dried clothes over tumble-dried ones? Or is saving electricity the primary goal for drying other clothes outside? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 3328 Registered: 7-2009 |
Did you not have a clothesline before? yes! Or did you have one but not use it? no Do you air dry other clothes now simply because hanging laundry outside has become a habit? no Or does it affect the laundry in a pleasant way, leading you or your family to desire sun-dried clothes over tumble-dried ones? no Or is saving electricity the primary goal for drying other clothes outside? yes *****SPOILER******** There is considerable debate about whether using cloth diapers is any better for the environment than using disposable ones, since environmental benefits (less waste, less manufacturing, fewer trips to the store) are offset by increased environmental costs (higher use of electricity and water for cleaning the diapers). Scientific studies have been done, but even they show no clearcut "winner." That said, our family has experienced a clear, indirect environmental benefit from cloth diapers that is unlikely to have been included in any of those scientific studies: When we bought our diapers, we also bought a clothesline. While we don't line dry our diapers every time, we did soon find ourselves using it as often as possible for our other clothes, too, saving electricity. |
