Nappies and second hand shopping

[George.com]

Nappies - thank goodness I don't have kids
It takes one full cup of crude oil to make the plastic for each "disposable"
nappy.
It takes 4.5 trees to make the pulp used in "disposable" nappies for one
baby over 2 1/2 years (1.3 million trees for NZ babies)
"Disposable" nappies use 3.5 times more energy, 8 times more non-renewable
raw materials, 90 times more renewable materials than washable nappies. It
takes as much energy to produce one throwaway nappy as it does to wash a
cloth nappy 200 times.
"Disposables" produce 2.3 times more waste water (at the production stage)
and 60 times more solid waste than washable nappies - one baby in
disposables will produce 2 tonnes of solid waste!
http://www.zerowaste.co.nz/default,507.sm

I recently went to buy a new pair of dress shoes for work. The cheapest 1/2
way decent (ie better than warehouse quality) paid of new shoes I could find
was $80 at sale price. I recently stopped bye my local op shop. There were 3
pairs of shoes there which were all the right size and all in good
condition. After a good polish the paid I ended up buying looked almost
brand new. They cost me $6.

Wanting a new shirt I went to farmers, saw a decent shirt but the $35 made
in china price tag has me uming and aaaring. I went to a second hand
clothing outlet and bought a similar shirt for $8, made in NZ.

rob

[Charles Foot]

Post by George.com
Nappies - thank goodness I don't have kids
It takes one full cup of crude oil to make the plastic for each "disposable"
nappy.
It takes 4.5 trees to make the pulp used in "disposable" nappies for one
baby over 2 1/2 years (1.3 million trees for NZ babies)
"Disposable" nappies use 3.5 times more energy, 8 times more non-renewable
raw materials, 90 times more renewable materials than washable nappies. It
takes as much energy to produce one throwaway nappy as it does to wash a
cloth nappy 200 times.
"Disposables" produce 2.3 times more waste water (at the production stage)
and 60 times more solid waste than washable nappies - one baby in
disposables will produce 2 tonnes of solid waste!
http://www.zerowaste.co.nz/default,507.sm
I recently went to buy a new pair of dress shoes for work. The cheapest 1/2
way decent (ie better than warehouse quality) paid of new shoes I could find
was $80 at sale price. I recently stopped bye my local op shop. There were 3
pairs of shoes there which were all the right size and all in good
condition. After a good polish the paid I ended up buying looked almost
brand new. They cost me $6.
Wanting a new shirt I went to farmers, saw a decent shirt but the $35 made
in china price tag has me uming and aaaring. I went to a second hand
clothing outlet and bought a similar shirt for $8, made in NZ.
rob

Well said, Rob.
I (unexpectedly) became a full-time father when my son was just a year
old. I bought a quantity of good quality cloth nappies which lasted the
couple of years they were needed. Sure it was a hassle rinsing, soaking
and washing nappies 3 or 4 times a day, but in hindsight I'm damn glad I
didn't succumb to the marketing hype and buy disposables.
I tend to avoid buying Chinese-made products too. Not because of the
geenerally shoddy quality, but more as a protest against their human
rights record.... sheesh, they're worse than the US! And our Government
wants a free trade agreement with them?!?