Roswell's Great Cloth Diaper Change Helps Set a New World Record

Last Saturday, dozens of Roswell parents came together at the Chattahoochee Nature Center with one goal: to change diapers.

Though changing a diaper might not sound heroic, this particular diaper change was when you consider it was part of raising environmental awareness.

Along with thousands of parents around the globe, Roswell families waited for local event organizer Garnett Henderson to call, “let's change those diapers” at exactly 12:30 p.m. At that moment twenty-seven parents changed twenty-seven children into reusable cloth diapers as part of a bid to secure a Guinness World Record.

While getting into the record books is fun, raising awareness about cloth diapering was the true goal of the Great Cloth Diaper Change (GCDC), a yearly Earth Day celebration.

The numbers are in now and event organizers report over 10,000 babies were changed in over 400 countries, effectively securing the world record.

It wasn't easy, though. Several qualifications had to be met in order for each local event to count towards the record. Official witnesses were on hand, the diaper change had to occur in an open, public area at exactly 12:30 p.m., the babies had to be under 39 inches and the diapers used had to be commercially available and 100 percent reusable.

Even though it's too late to be a part of this year's record, it's never too late to discover the world of cloth diapering. Cuter, easier, more affordable and more resource-efficient than ever, this isn't your grandma's cloth diapering. Thanks to GCDC sponsors like The Traveling Diaper Show and local cloth diaper delivery, rental and cleaning service Cottontails, cloth diapering is easier than ever.

Cottontails owner and eco-mom Garnett Henderson said, "Cloth diapering is not like it was for our parents and grandparents. It's evolved dramatically."

Newbies to cloth diapering got a quick lesson in what-to-do prior to the event from Traveling Diaper Show owner Diane Costello, who says the new glow-in-the-dark skull cloth diapers by Happy Heinies are one of her hottest ticket items.

When asked why she got into the cloth diaper business, Costello said, “I couldn't stand using things and throwing them away, just mountains of diapers. It didn't seem right.”

Anyone interested to learn more about cloth diapers can schedule a home diaper party with Costello.

“It's like a really fun playdate,” she said.

The Cottontails delivery service reaches all over metro Atlanta and Henderson is happy to give the complete rundown of diaper options available to anyone interested in cloth diapering, but not interested in all the laundry.

Or, anyone is invited to attend one of the monthly diaper swaps by the Real Diaper Association, which has meetings in Atlanta and Marietta.

Still not sold? Here are a few facts about cloth diapering that might surprise you.

• Americans buy twenty-seven billion disposable diapers per year

• Disposable diapers are estimated to take 250-500 years to decompose

• One child uses approximately $1500 worth of disposable diapers in two years

• A start-up stash of $300 in cloth diapers can cover two children for all their diapering years

The families who showed up to join the GCDE ranged from newbies renting their first prefolds to experts with diapers in a rainbow of colors. The babies ranged from a tiny, 10-week old cutie to a 28-month-old, who was one of the oldest.

There were prizes for youngest baby changed during the record, sleeping babies, and whichever baby had the stinkiest diaper. The raffle prizes were a big hit, with a hot selection of diapers, accessories, tickets to local attractions and a photo session with sponsor DayC Photography.

Event organizers stress the fact that it's never too late to keep diapers out of landfills and start using cloth. And don't worry if you missed the event, you can always help set a new record next year.