Written by ShoutGreen | 02 November 2006

The best nappies - Bamboo re-usable nappies • 60% more absorbent than cotton • Dry 20% faster • No chemicals on your baby’s skin • Antibacterial fabric • Naturally Organic • Biodegradable • Sustainable www.bamboobaby.co.uk

Disposable nappies may account for 4% of rubbish going to landfill sites:

On average, each child might use about 6,500 nappies by the age of two and a half, which translates to more than 10,000 tonnes of untreated sewage every year [Ref: Surrey County Council]. According to the Women's Environmental Network (WEN) research, 3 billion nappies are thrown away in the UK every year, 8 million every day, with about 90% ending up in landfill.

Most household waste (including disposable nappies) goes to landfill sites, which can cause serious environmental problems since rotting waste generates methane gas plus a toxic liquid called leachate. Normally raw sewage cannot be disposed of in this way, so just think how much worse the situation is made when nappies are thrown away with household rubbish! Apart from damage to the environment, there are potential risks to your child when wearing disposable nappies from the chemicals contained in them.

So, what is the bottom line? Consider changing to using one of the alternatives!

Reusable nappies (real nappies):

Gone are the days of the old Terry squares needing skills in origami to fold to the right size and the old big safety pins, although you can still choose this option if you like, and you can buy all sorts of different colours too. Today's real nappies (waterproof pants, or wraps) are made from soft, breathable fabrics; most are cotton, some organic. The most exciting new fabric for nappies is BAMBOO. 60% more absorbent than cotton dries 20% faster, naturally organic, sustainable and antibacterial - these really are the best nappies. These real nappies are tailored to fit the baby, are easy to put on and are normally fastened with Velcro, rather like disposables nappies! By using biodegradable one-way liners most of the solid waste can be flushed straight down the toilet, where sewage belongs.

The UK Nappy Line has been set up in response to the increasing demand for real nappies. WEN estimates that about 15% of parents now use cloth nappies. There are stated to be over 1200 retail outlets in the UK and 75 local nappy sellers plus numerous laundry services and mail order companies, so it is now much easier to find and use cloth nappies.

Using Real Nappies does not mean lots of extra work and expense:

Using real nappies does not have to mean lots of washing, safety pins and bulky nappies. You can either buy nappies to wash at home, or use a nappy laundering service which will deliver fresh, sterilised nappies to your door regularly and take away the dirty ones, which you store in a lined, deodorised bin. Some County Councils work with or offer their own nappy laundering services.

Nor need it be an expensive alternative. WEN states that home laundered nappies could save parents up to £500 on the cost of keeping a baby in disposables; they give a cost comparison on their site. And, that's for the first child alone! 2 multipacks of cloth nappies cost 300 to take your baby from newborn to potty training. Disposables cost about 1500 to 2000! As well as aiding the problem of disposal, reusable nappies significantly reduce the consumption of raw material (all those nappies and the packaging!) and so also save energy.

However if all this does sound just too much, then eco-disposable nappies are a possible alternative. Bamboo Baby (www.bamboobaby.co.uk) offers a choice between washable and eco-disposable nappies.

Eco disposables:

To us this seems, on the face of it, to be the best option for many people, offering the convenience of disposable nappies combined with ecologically and environmentally friendly methods of production and biodegradable disposal.

Right now there appear to be a relatively small number of companies producing eco disposables, and none in the UK, although their products are increasingly available in the UK, and obviously available via the web (www.bamboobaby.co.uk).

The main features of eco disposables are (although not all the makes offer all these features): they are manufactured using some or all recycled material, the core is made with some recycled material, wood pulp or cotton blend, chlorine or bleaching agents are not used - this can make them off-white in colour (which apparently not everyone likes - but surely nappies don't stay white for long anyway?!), they are biodegradable, without leaving harmful residues, for example you can put them on your compost heap or wormery, or recycle with your compost via the council where this service is offered, the packaging is degradable, e.g. cellulose, they free from deodorants, lotions, perfumes, dyes, dioxins or bleach which can all be irritants, especially for a baby's skin, they are free from the absorbent gel (polysodium acyrlate), found in normal disposables.

Summary:

The use of Real Nappies is a growing trend. Choosing to use them is not as unpleasant as you might have thought; you should find it will save you money at a time when it's terribly difficult to balance the budget. The environment, both locally and globally will be much better for it too and not least of all, your baby will really feel the benefit. If, after reading this, you still can't face the prospect of washing nappies then a second best alternative is to make sure you choose eco-disposables.