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What’s wrong with disposable nappies?
Disposables are filling up precious landfill space. In the UK alone we throw away 8 million disposable nappies every day. Each one of your children could easily go through 5,000 nappies in their infancy. For parents who care about the environment, choosing and using non-disposable nappies is a positive action to protect the world our children will grow up in.
Why are cotton nappies best?
Cotton nappies are the original breathable nappies. They are completely natural with no gels or chemicals to absorb liquid, just the natural absorbency of the cloth, which makes cotton soft and kind on your baby's skin. One-way liners allow moisture to pass through helping to keep baby's skin dry.
What about convenience?
Cotton nappies are so much easier than you may think. Flushable liners mean less mess. Soaking and boiling is a thing of the past; store used nappies in a bucket with a lid and when you're ready to wash, a simple 60° wash is all that is needed.
And cost?
Cloth nappies cost substantially less than disposables, whatever kind you decide to use, and will last long enough to use for more than one child, making them even more economical.
Will my baby be more prone to nappy rash?
No. In a recent study on infants with nappy rash, 'the type of nappy worn did not emerge as a significant factor. Therefore, and contrary to widespread belief, disposable nappies seem to have little protective effect.'* The most important factor in avoiding nappy rash is keeping your baby clean with regular nappy changes. *Research conducted by Professor Jean Golding of Bristol University.
Did you know..?
- Using cotton nappies rather than disposables saves roughly £600 for a first child, and £800 for a second child if parents use the same cotton nappies again.
- Disposable nappies use 3.5 times more energy than real nappies to produce
- Disposable nappies will take up to 500 years to completely decompose.
- Nearly 3 billion nappies are thrown away in the UK every year. About 90% of these end up in landfill.
- Disposable nappies are reckoned to represent 4% of household waste, costing the UK taxpayer around £40 million each year.
- The average baby has their nappy changed around 5,000 times before reaching potty training.
- It costs about £1000 to buy this many disposables.
By caring for the environment now, you're caring for the future environment of your baby.
Nappies in the news
Following the controversy of Ben Bradshaw’s recent Parliamentary answer, Channel 4’s FactCheck decided to look at the issue of reusable and disposable nappies.
The article compared the environmental credentials of reusable and disposable nappies.
This article can be accessed by visiting this link: http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/environment/factcheck+rash+verdict+on+nappies/603782.
A letter from our founder
Dear parent
You may have seen the recent article in the Daily Mail which compared the environmental impact of different nappy systems and ‘concluded’ that there is little benefit in using reusable nappies.
We feel strongly that this article was not researched correctly and as a result provided parents with misleading information at a time when most of us are looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint.
The article compared the environmental impact of producing reusables versus disposables. What it didn’t consider is that many reusables are used for subsequent children significantly reducing the environmental impact during their manufacture.
There are other considerations in using reusables including cost and convenience.
Each child uses up to 5,000 nappies during their first two years and the positive impact of using reusable nappies is immense. Parents can save around £600 per child compared to the cost of using disposables and this increases significantly if the nappies are used on other children.
In addition, with more and more councils moving towards fortnightly disposal collection, using reusables means less waste festering in wheelie bins or filling up landfill sites.
The article was in response to the government's decision to withdraw the Real Nappy Campaign – a backward step for a government keen to communicate their green credentials and a gift for the disposable nappy companies.
The growth in real nappies has been phenonemial. Health professionals and health trusts the length and breadth of the country are opting for real nappies and at the Baby Shows we are heartened by the number of discerning and responsible parents considering real nappies.
Claire and I would like to thank you for your support over the last five years and urge you to write to your local MP to encourage the reintroduction of funding for the Real Nappy Campaign. This is the only way we can achieve share of voice against the disposable nappy manufacturers.
Shame on the Daily Mail – the article is an example of the damage one mislead journalist can do to a worthwhile cause.
Martine Carroll
Founder, Modern Baby