Paper or plastic? Cloth or disposable?

I am often asked if we accept cloth diapers and the answer is, WE SURE DO! When I am speaking on behalf of the Baby Bank, I often get comments like “when I had kids, I used cloth diapers,” and it opens a great conversation about the pros and cons of cloth vs disposable diapers. A VERY detailed discussion of that topic can be found here: https://www.whattoexpect.com/diapering-essentials/cloth-vs-disposables.aspx but the two things that keep most families from considering cloth diapers these days are 1) daycares do not accept cloth diapers and 2) cloth diapers cannot be taken to a laundromat for obvious reasons – eeewwww – so it rules out use by anyone who does not have their own washer/dryer. I obviously spend more time thinking about diapers than the average person, and I started wondering what “ancient cultures” did for diapers; I was blown away by a few of their “inventions,” AND by ideas being explored right now as to ideas for better disposal (hint: reuse) of disposal diapers! If you are now curious, too, here ya go: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-024-03347-5