The Environment Issue

Disposable nappies are by far the most widely used type of nappy in the UK today. And with some 750,000 babies born each year, changed on average 6 or 7 times a day during their first two years, that's 3,832,500,000 disposable nappies a year! And that's just in the UK

Apart from the energy used in production, vast amounts of wood pulp, and plastic are also needed. That means oil for the plastics and trees from Canada and Scandinavia for the pulp, plus pesticides, fertilizers and of course damage to the wildlife.

Once the nappy is used, it has to be disposed of. Strictly speaking as disposable nappies contain human waste they should be bagged up (as hospital waste is) for incineration. There is a charge for this service, so instead they all end up in the household refuse, which generally means landfill, 800,000 tonnes per year, or 4% of domestic waste.

Some of the plastics bio-degrade, others don't but even those that do need certain conditions which often don't exist in Landfill sites. The chemical gel or crystals, Sodium Polyacrylate, take an estimated 400 years to breakdown so we are simply storing up problems for future generations.

So disposable nappies 'cost' the planet at both ends, production and disposal. In between they cost us, the babies' parents, and for many families particularly on low incomes, disposable nappies eat up a significant percentage of the family budget.

Economic Facts

An average of 6000 nappies are needed to take a newborn baby through to a potty-trained toddler, that's 6 or 7 a day for about 30mths.

Disposable nappies cost between 12p and 20p each - depending on size and brand, so the total cost to the family is around £1000.

As the alternative 20 re-usable nappies are about £8 each, which means an outlay of £160, plus laundry every other day at worst a further £200 giving a total expense of £360.

This gives a saving of 64%, or £5.00 per week per child.

If your baby is in nappies for longer, is changed more often or you use some of the most expensive disposable nappies the savings are even more dramatic especially if you re-use your re-usable for subsequent children!

So why don't more people use re-usable?

Because parents don't know they exist. Traditional terry squares with their awkward shape, fiddly folds and sharp pins, all enveloped in hideous plastic pants is often thought of as the only option.

Disposable manufacturers with their vested interests and huge financial resources to advertise can target new Mums through Bounty packs, clinics and hospitals not forgetting of course advertising on the television.

Have you looked at all the nappies? Our Sam-I-Am, Tots Bots especially the bamboozle nappy? Look at our funky range of popolino wraps in bright and fun colours and prints. Our Bamboo nappies from WamBamBoo are soft and gentle against your baby's skin. Are you looking for incontinence products? Our sister site Freedom Healthcare has a wide range of adult nappies, washable pants, pads and bedding, waterproof bedding and of course disposable bed pads.

Try them and see how well you and your baby get on. Then help us to spread the word by telling other parents about the pretty, practical, planet friendly re-usable nappies at Snazzypants.