https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/may/18/build-houses-out-of-used-nappies-scientists-urge

Is the problem trying to use less concrete or trying to get rid of nappies somewhere..

That's one of the ones where people have strong opinions but the science is not clear either way!

Eg the Environment Agency think that the total impact of washing cloth nappies (energy, water use) is about the same as the impact of manufacturing/disposing the single use ones.

A lot depends on whether they are tumble dried, or hung outside on a line (which comes down to whether there is a parent staying at home all day as was traditional, or whether both parents have to work in the modern way and there's nobody free to get a load of nappies dried every day!)

We looked into this a lot with our kids and ended up doing both options at different stages.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/291130/scho0808boir-e-e.pdf

A) Many kids go into daycare so both parents can keep their jobs and pay the bills; nobody is home during the day.

B) washing left unattended on the line in Scotland in March is not guaranteed to be dried by evening, but the child will need dry nappies the next day nonetheless. So they end up being tumble dried, which the EA found negates their benefit.