Disposable diapers, manufactured from paper and petroleum products, are one of the most convenient diapering

systems available. Disposable diapers are also considered by many to be anti-environment, but the truth is not so
clear-cut. Three diapering systems are considered: home-laundered cloth diapers, commercially laundered cloth
diapers, and disposable diapers containing a superabsorbent gel. Energy and material balances are used to
determine the relative merits of each system.

The following shows data for 1,000 diapers:

Cloth Diapers
Commercially Home Laundered
Disposable Diapers Laundered
Energy requirements, 106 kJ 1.9 2.1 3.8
Solid waste, m3 17 2.3 2.3
Atmospheric emissions, kg 8.3 4.5 9.6
Waterborne wastes, kg 1.5 5.8 6.1
Water volume requirements, L 1300 3400 2700

An average of 68 cloth diapers are used per week per baby. Because disposable diapers last longer and never need
double diapering, the number of disposable diapers can be expressed to be less.

1. Determine the number of disposable diapers required to match the 68 cloth diapers per week. Assume the
following:
• 15.8 billion disposable diapers are sold annually.
• 3,787,000 babies are born each year.
• Children wear diapers for the first 30 months.
• Disposable diapers are worn by only 85% of the babies.
Solution:
𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛 1 𝑦𝑟
No. of babies in diapers = 3,787,000 × 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 30 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑠 × = 9,467,500
𝑦𝑟 12 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑠

No. of babies in disposable diapers = 9,467,500 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠 × 0.85 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠 =
8,047,375

15.8 ×109 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠

No. of disposable diapers per baby per year =
8,047,375 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑒𝑠
= 1,963.40

1,963.40 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠 1 𝑦𝑟

No. of disposable diapers per baby per week =
𝑦𝑟
× 52 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘𝑠 = 39.30

39.30 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠/𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘

Equivalence =
𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘
× 68 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠/𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 = 0.5779
2. Complete the following table that shows the ratio of impact relative to the home-laundered diapers. The first
line has been completed for you.
Cloth Diapers
Commercially Home Laundered
Disposable Diapers Laundered
Energy requirements, 106 kJ 0.5 0.55 1.0
Solid waste, m3 7.39 1.0 1.0
Atmospheric emissions, kg 0.86 0.47 1.0
Waterborne wastes, kg 0.25 0.95 1.0
Water volume requirements, L 0.48 1.26 1.0

Given:
The following shows data for 1,000 diapers:
Cloth Diapers
Disposable
Commercially Home
Diapers
Laundered Laundered
Energy requirements, 106 kJ 1.9 2.1 3.8
Solid waste, m3 17 2.3 2.3
Atmospheric emissions, kg 8.3 4.5 9.6
Waterborne wastes, kg 1.5 5.8 6.1
Water volume
1300 3400 2700
requirements, L

Solution:

17 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠
Solid waste = = 𝟕. 𝟑𝟗
2.3 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠

2.3 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠

= = 𝟏. 𝟎
2.3 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠

8.3 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠

Atmospheric emissions = 9.6 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠
= 𝟎. 𝟖𝟔

4.5 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠

= 9.6 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠
= 𝟎. 𝟒𝟕

1.5 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠

Waterborne wastes = 6.1 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠
= 𝟎. 𝟐𝟓

5.8 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠

= 6.1 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠
= 𝟎. 𝟗𝟓

1300 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠

Water volume requirements = 2700 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠
= 𝟎. 𝟒𝟖

3400 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠

= 2700 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠
= 𝟏. 𝟐𝟔