A) To save money
B) To choose the nappy that suits you and your baby
C) To reduce waste
A) TO SAVE MONEY
On average, parents spend £700 on 6,000 disposable nappies over the 30 months that babies wear nappies (source: Women’s Environmental Network). If you use luxury brands this figure will be higher.
Iif you buy a cloth nappy system, the average spend is around £200 including the cost of home washing. Although the majority of this cost is up front, using cloth nappies on average should lead to savings of around £500!
This saving increases if the nappies are used for your next children or sold on.
B) FOR THE NAPPY THAT SUITS YOU AND YOUR BABY
Modern cloth nappies are made from natural materials like cotton, hemp and fleece. They do not contain chemical gels and are available in a wide range of styles to suit your child and your purse. Instead of hiding your baby’s nappy you can choose the latest funky styles!
They are also thought by many to be a healthier, more comfortable option. It has been suggested that using cloth nappies from a young age can help with correct hip development, as well as providing great padding when baby starts to walk and has the inevitable tumbles! Other reports suggest that babies in cloth nappies tend to toilet train 6 months earlier than those in disposables.
Modern cloth nappies come in five main types:
The 'flat' nappy - flat nappies are available in two main types, the traditional "terry" and the the "pre fold". They are folded and can fastened with either pins or the ingenious nappy nipper (a stretchy plastic alternative to pins). These nappies are worn with an outer waterproof cover known as a "wrap".
The ‘all-in-one’ - Looks a lot like a disposable nappy with the absorbent materials and outer protective layer being incorporated together.
The ‘two piece’ – this system has a separate absorbent nappy and outer protective layer known as a ‘wrap’. There are many different designs and styles based on this system which includes pre-folded pads, terries and shaped styles.
The ‘one-size’ – these specially designed nappies adjust to fit as your baby grows, and will usually fit from birth to potty. Uses velcro or pop fastenings and has a separate outer wrap to keep everything dry.
The ‘pocket’ – nappies with an internal pocket in which to place an absorbent pad. Works just like an all-in-one once assembled.
For more details on the different nappies that are available, check out the local real nappy contacts page and the useful information pages.
C) TO REDUCE WASTE
Eight million disposable nappies are thrown away every day in the UK and mostly they go to landfill. In Somerset alone it has been estimated that 3,900 tonnes of nappy waste is sent to landfill annually – equivalent to 455 double decker buses!
On average, nappies make up 2% of the contents of the ‘Somerset bin’. For households with children in disposable nappies, nappy waste makes up a huge proportion of what they throw away.
With environmental legislation reducing the amount of waste councils can landfill and the increase in the Government’s ‘landfill tax’, the costs of waste disposal are rising dramatically and driving the UK to reduce its reliance on landfill.
By using cloth nappies Somerset parents can make a real impact in reducing the amount waste we bury in the ground.
For more information about Somerset's waste, and to see how nappies make up 2% of the average Somerset bin, click here.
|
