Disposable diapers were introduced by Procter & Gamble in 1961. First used as an occasional convenient substitute for cloth diapers, their popularity has since exploded. By 1990 they were the primary diapering method for 85% of American parents. As a result, 2.7 million tons of disposable diapers are discarded every year, a point decried by environmentalists.

Proponents of reusables argue that this accounts for only two to three% of America's solid waste. Although detailed studies have examined the influence of both kinds of diapers on such variables as water consumption, water pollution, energy consumption, air pollution, and waste generation, there are no indisputable conclusions about which choice is better for the environment. Each study was based on different assumptions and came to different conclusions. Most were commissioned by either the disposable-diaper or reusable-diaper industry, and each side put their respective diapers slightly ahead of the other's.

Disposable diapers and their packaging...