Early on in our diapering experience we read a study that seemed to show that, with the exception of trash, the environmental impacts of cloth and disposable diapering seemed about equal. In this study they considered the processes necessary to produce both the disposable and cloth diapers as well as the laundering impacts. They also assumed some averages. The “average” cloth-diapering parent washes diapers with bleach (not a fun chemical to produce or remove from your water), 2xs per laundering, with hot water in each cycle. It also assumed that the diapers are dried in the dryer and then ironed. That's right, ironed. I know very few people who regularly iron their clothing, let alone their kid's diapers, and most folks I know who wash diapers do a cold rinse followed by a hot wash. In our house, we try to avoid the dryer as it takes a lot of energy and is not very friendly to the diapers. The study also did not consider the fact that cloth diapering may encourage earlier toilet training. While there's no way to prove it, it seems entirely possible that it is so. When Eli was about 22 months we got a parenting email suggesting we start having our child help flush his poop so he'd start to get the idea where it goes. We laughed. Eli had been doing that for a few months because we always flushed his poop: it was not just a learning tool. A month later he no longer wore diapers during the day. I also remember that this study assumed the cloth diapers were only used for one child, which is rarely true. If you check out e-bay or craigslist for diapers you'll find quite a selection. Considering all this, I'd be interested in a new study that considers “averages” that are a little more well researched.