Cloth diapers are making a comeback in Bermuda -- in another attempt to cut down on the amount of waste we produce.

Island distributor for Kooshies diapers, Mrs. Susan DeSouza noted that, according to Canadian research, a baby in disposable diapers could create up to 3,250 pounds of waste in the first 30 months of life.

But that can all but be eliminated by the use of cloth.

The new cloth diapers, as distributed by Mrs. DeSouza, are closed with Velcro and inside contain a vinyl layer to catch leaks. The liner inside the diaper can be folded in different places to absorb wetness. Once used, they can easily be washed at home.

And having cotton against the baby's skin was a definite advantage, said Mrs.

DeSouza, who believed the diapers had prevented her second child from ever suffering diaper rash.

Mrs. DeSouza, owner of the company Kooshies Plus, said she used the diapers for six or seven months before deciding to bring them to Bermuda for sale.

"They are very economical and I like the appearance,'' she added.

The economic and ecological advantage of cloth diapers has been stressed by environmentalists in the slogan "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle''.

But the only cloth diaper cleaning service on the Island -- Bottoms Up -- ran into trouble from the start when it opened in 1990. First owner Mrs. Michelle Lawrence sold the service, which collected and cleaned the diapers, when it was a mere four months old because she was having a baby of her own.

At that point, she said, her customer list topped 30 but was short of the 100 needed to make a profit.

When Miss Juanita Matthie bought the business in November, 1990, she said she looked forward to an aggressive marketing campaign. But that business foundered last year.

Other Island laundries do not offer a diaper service.

CLOTH ON THE COMEBACK - Steven DeSouza sports Kooshies cloth diapers. His mother is the Island distributor.