New report shows parents can reduce their carbon emissions by 40% when using real nappies

New report shows parents can reduce carbon emissions by 40% by using real nappies.

A new report published by the Environment Agency confirms that by using real nappies, parents can reduce their carbon emissions by 40%. Incredibly, disposable nappies account for half of household rubbish if you have a child in nappies. Over 28 million are sent to landfill in Devon each year, costing the taxpayer £500,000 annually and taking hundreds of years to rot down. With the recent closure of Chelson Meadow, refuse lorries now make a 40 mile round trip to deliver them to the nearest landfill site in Cornwall.

We would suggest parents follow these simple steps to reduce their impact on the environment:

Wash nappies at either 40 or 60 degrees

Dry on the washing line when possible or alternatively dry in a warm room

Keep your nappies for subsequent children

Wash using a full load. Nappies can also be washed with other laundry if they are just wet

Use an energy efficient washing machine

Tumble dry as little as possible

Don't iron them

Environmental factors are not the only reasons why people are choosing to use cloth instead of disposables. Choosing cloth will save parents around £500 per child. This figure can be even greater if you keep nappies for second or third children. You can even sell your real nappies once your child is potty trained and get back up to 50% of the original purchase price. Potty training is usually achieved an average of 6 months earlier by children who wear real nappies which is another benefit to parents. Cloth is also a natural, breathable product against your baby's skin and they do not contain any of the chemicals and gels found in disposables. Modern cloth nappies are fun, funky and comfortable, do not involve folding and there is no need for safety pins!

Contact us for information about trying cloth nappies for free!

Created: October 20, 2008