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From birth to potty, a baby can
use up to five thousand disposable nappies. This is the
automatic option for most parents as they are seen to
be cheap and convenient. Other parents are becoming more
concerned about the environmental costs of disposable
nappies and are looking for real alternatives. |
In the UK, we throw away eight million
disposable nappies every day, or two hundred million each year
in Wales alone. This adds up to a ‘nappy mountain’
of 800,000 tonnes each year. 14,000 tonnes of plastics are produced
from non-renewable crude oil each year to make nappies. These
can take up to five hundred years to decompose, clogging up
our land-fill sites. £40 million of tax-payers money is
spent by local authorities each year to collect and dispose
of nappies.
Cloth Nappies
Cloth nappies have moved on a long way from those that granny
will remember: leaking terry-towelling nappies fastened by pins
that needed hours of boil-washing. Modern fitted cloth nappies
and laundry services take the strain off busy parents and can
be a reasonable financial alternative to disposable nappies.
Most of the modern waterproof covers are made from breathable
materials. Organic cotton nappies are readily available too.
Modern cloth nappies come in four main styles: shaped with a
waterproof cover, waterproof all-in-ones, ‘stuffable’
nappies that require a cotton pad and flat nappies which are
folded into a pad then put into a cover. The latter is the most
economical option but takes a bit longer to put on a wriggling
baby!
There are several ‘systems’ for flat nappies, but
mainly follow the same method, with weekly laundry collections/deliveries
from your home. Firstly, a piece of absorbent cotton cloth is
folded into a rectangular pad. Secondly, a liner is put over
this pad to act as a barrier. Finally, the pad and liner are
placed in a pant-style ’wrap’ with Velcro or poppers.
When a nappy is changed, the bio-degradable liner and mess goes
down the toilet. The cotton pad is put in a bin to be collected
and the wrap can be washed in your own washing machine. There
is no greater risk of nappy rash than from using disposable
nappies.
Real Nappy Week
This year’s Real Nappy Week, 20-26 June 2005, is the ninth
annual week to focus on disposable nappy waste and cloth nappy
alternatives. The Real Nappy Campaign and the Women’s
Environmental Network co-ordinate the national campaign week.
They bring together councils, health boards, local campaign
groups and parents to promote practical alternatives to disposable
nappies.
Powys County Council and other local authorities in Wales will
be celebrating Real Nappy Week with a series of ‘Nappuccino’
events. New parents and mums to be will be invited to their
local ‘Nappuccino’ for refreshments and a chance
to find out more information about using reusable nappies. There
will also be lots of other information and promotions especially
designed for parents with young children.
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