Soiled Green: Cloth Diapers Make Comeback

Cloth diapers are getting a serious makeover, as old-fashioned safety pins and rubber liners give way to velcro and water-resistant merino wool covers. New cloth diaper brands, such as Fuzzi Bunz and Happy Heinys, can thank an increasingly eco-conscious population for their success, reports Time, with some companies reporting 50% profit increases in recent years.

"None of us can expand fast enough to keep up with demand," says the founder of bumGenius. Cloth proponents cite lower costs (a total of $300 through toilet training, as opposed to up to $3,000), less waste, and fewer rashes for the heinies in question. Opponents argue that the cost of water and energy for washing cloth diapers is worse than the 27.4 billion Huggies and Pampers tossed each year. (More diapers stories.)