Posted on 04/01/2005 9:17:23 AM PST by utahguy
What's filling up America's landfills ... newspapers? food? Reuben Stoddard CDs?
There's a bit of everything in our trash, but it's not quite as full of one particularly gross item as we've been led to believe. The figures vary widely, but an estimated 9 to 16 billion disposable diapers are said to become part of landfill space on an annual basis.
Critics have accused the disposable diaper of single-handedly causing landfills to overflow, resulting in mountains of material that won't decompose for another 500 years. Opponents claim that cloth diapers use precious water and energy each time they're washed, making them the less-friendly alternative. Some claim disposables generate 300 million tons of trash each year, others say only 3 million. The most recent study by the Environmental Protection Agency puts the amount at 3.4 million tons, or 2.1 percent of the garbage in landfills nationwide. While that amount doesn't seem to be any cause for alarm, the topic obviously needs careful consideration.
Unfortunately, with each passing year, it's taking longer for babies to become potty-trained. Since the 1950s, the average age for toilet training has increased from 18 months to nearly four years. That means more diapers and bigger messes.
Hmmmm . . ..
And for some, the process persists through adulthood. Take the Democrats for example...
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