SOME FACTS ABOUT NAPPIES:

By following three simple steps when using real nappies, you will reduce your nappy usage carbon footprint by 40% vis-a-vis using disposables:

1. Wash your nappies in full loads, rather than in partially full loads - they can be washed with the rest of your household whites!
2. Wash them at no more than 60 C - if you first soak them in a disinfectant, you can wash them at 40 C.
3. Line-dry your nappies rather than tumble-drying them.

 You will reduce your carbon footprint even more by re-using your nappies on a second baby - be it yours or someone else’s!

The above information is based on the Environment Agency’s October 2008 Lifecycle Analysis report into reusable and disposable nappies.

REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE WITH REAL NAPPIES:

• Using real nappies means you reduce the amount of throw-away nappies you use on your baby - this is important as nearly 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away everyday in the UK alone!
• Wash it, don’t bin it! By choosing real nappies, you are reusing, which helps you to save hundreds of pounds per child, and to reverse the throw-away patterns which are economically and enviromentally harmful.
• Recycle your nappies and give them a new leash of life by using them on a second child, or by passing them on to someone else who wants or needs them.

The picture above shows the stark contrast between disposables and reusables:

One baby in disposables will produce a mountain of disposables about this big (about 6,500 disposables) over 2.5 years - or more if they’re still in nappies after 2.5 years! By contrast, real nappies only need a small corner to store, and you do not need to throw them away.

In brief, using real nappies allows you to control your impact on the environment. It is a contribution worth making to our planet and to our children’s futures.