Though non-parents seem to regard changing diapers as the worst parental duty, new moms and dads quickly get used to the mechanics of a diaper freshening. One thing many of them never get used to: the gnawing guilt they feel throwing the diapers into a landfill. That guilt is not misplaced: Although experts quibble over whether cloth or disposable diapers have more of an impact on the environment, it’s clear that one of the downsides of disposables is that they linger long after they’re no longer doing their job.

Babies are cute. Their diapers are not, for several reasons, many of which involve the environment. Whenever I'm visiting my sister, who has a 2-year-old and a newborn, I'm struck with the sheer volume of dirty diapers in the trash bin. Where does all that gross stuff go? According to this article on Owatonna.com, "dirty diapers comprise only about one and one-half percent of all materials buried in landfills." To me that just means there's a whole lot of crap buried in landfills. The article is about TerraCycle's ideas for recycling disposable diapers in the near future. That sounds like a good idea, but when I read, "Most of the used diapers will eventually be turned into plastic products...," it kind of grosses me out. Sterilization is apparently going to be part of the recycling process, but I still hope the plastic products in question don't end up being plates and water bottles. Eew. Anyway, if you care about the planet and have asked yourself the same question I have about the eventual resting place for dirty diapers, the article is worth reading. Check it out here.