Green Corner: Eco-conscious parents to join global cloth diaper changing challenge

This is a non-profit initiative held worldwide every year in April, with thousands of people changing their babies into cloth diapers at the same time with an aim topromote Earth Day (April 22nd) and increase awareness of reusable diapers as an easy, sustainable and convenient parenting option.

Pallavi Utagi, founder of a cloth diaper brand, which is hosting this challenge in multiple cities in India including Chennai, “This initiative is aimed at educating more and more and more families toswitch to reusable, organic cotton diapers because disposable nappies are posing a huge threat to the environment.” Once a diaper has been discarded, it occupies space in a landfill and may take years to disintegrate and decompose — that too only partially. “This is polluting all our natural resources,”she adds.

Another important reason for this challenge is to highlight how cost-effective cloth diapers are. Charanya K, who is hosting a meet-up for the challenge in Tambaram, explains, “Each disposable nappy costs around Rs 15 and at least 10-15 are used every day. Once a parent switches to cloth diapers, the cost will come down because 4-5 are enough to get the baby through the day. If the baby outgrows the diaper, it can be sold for 50 per cent of the cost during such meet-ups.”

Apart from the changing challenge, she says she has also invited experts to speak to the parents about switching a child from mother’s milk to solid foods, how to select the right kind of baby carrier and other such topics.

The Great Cloth Diaper Challenge is being held on April 28 in Chennai. Some of the other cities the event is happening in include Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Puducherry, New Delhi, Erode, Salem and Vadodra.