More Reasons Why You Should Use Reusable Nappies Today!
Cloth nappies - am I insane? Why would any new mum want to consider using washable nappies? I will give you three reasons why you should give real nappies a try today. They are easy to use, cheaper than disposables and reduce waste.
Easy to use - cloth nappies have moved on from our parents’ generation. You can still buy the old fashioned terry nappies if you wish; they are very cheap (pack of 12 costs less than £8) and do the job. But if you want to be eco-friendly whilst retaining convenience then you may wish to opt for the new versions for your babies’ nappy.
Cotton nappies come in a range of designs, have poppers or Velcro instead of the old safety pins so can fit the smallest babies bum securely. Most parents use a waterproof cover to help prevent any leaks. Biodegradable liners which can be flushed away serve two purposes, keeping baby dry whilst also allowing for the convenience of flushing the waste down the toilet.
Cheaper than disposables:
Most parents use disposable nappies and can spend upwards of £500 from the time baby is born until they are potty trained. This figure increases dramatically if some of the more expensive brand names are used. On the other hand, reusable nappies will cost less than half this amount - if you want to cut this cost further you can buy used but obviously washed reusable nappies on eBay!
Waste reduction
Various studies have shown that disposable nappies account for almost half of the household waste the family produces. It is estimated that Councils spend over £40 million a year in the UK on trying to dispose of disposables. Just imagine how useful this money would be for other projects such as our hospitals, childcare facilities, mum and baby groups etc.
With local councils trying to reduce bin collections to every other week, we must all consider ways of reducing our rubbish production. Nobody knows for certain but it is estimated that disposables take circa 500 years to disintegrate completely by which time the baby who wore them are no more than a very distant memory. Your baby will be wearing nappies for the next 2.5 to 3 years - depending on how soon they are potty trained (cloth nappies appear to make potty training easier!). Even if parents were to try to adopt real nappies for one of the numerous daily nappy changes, this would reduce the impact on our landfills and our children’s environment. Given the amount of time and resources we spend trying to make their little worlds a happier place; perhaps we should redirect some of that time and money to saving their planet.
If you decided that you want to use disposable nappies, what not try out a couple of the eco-disposable brands and see how you get on. You will have the obvious benefits of disposable nappies whilst also reducing the amount of waste produced by your growing family.
Pam Pearson is a guest writer for the “Washable Nappies Guide” blog: where you’ll find lots of practical advice and guidance on using environmentally friendly nappies.
