Real Nappy Week

This week is Real Nappy Week and to promote it there are events taking place all over the country to promote the use of washable, reusable nappies.

Disposable nappies are the largest single contributor to landfill in Britain with over 8 million being thrown away every day.  Some can take up to 500 years to decompose, which means that every disposable ever made is probably still in the ground somewhere!

Waste Minimisation Officer at Wyre Forest District Council, Joanne Duffield, has been using real nappies on her son Ethan for the past 14 months. She said,

"At first, I was a bit daunted by the idea of washable nappies. I assumed that it meant folding pieces of cloth and using large pins!  After attending a 'Nappuccino' event at Honeybees Natural Nursery Store in Worcester I was definitely put right – I couldn't believe the choice of styles available. My son was premature and at just 5lbs he wore a bamboo nappy that seemed so natural and soft on his newborn skin. It's now 14 months on and we still love reusable nappies and plan to use them for our next baby, due in June."

Real nappies are made from natural materials such as cotton, bamboo and fleece and are much kinder to your baby's skin than disposable nappies. Real nappies come in a range of designs and styles to fit everyone's lifestyle and budget, some as easy and convenient to use as disposables with built-in nappies and covers – not a pin in sight!  Using real nappies can also save you between £500 and £1200 compared to the cost of disposables, during two-and-a-half years of a baby's nappy-wearing life, depending on which nappies are used.

The Wyre Forest District Council have produced a web page on the basics of choosing real nappies which can be seen on our real nappies webpages or can be requested in hard copy by phoning the Kidderminster Hub on 01562 732928. For more information on Real Nappy week visit http://www.goreal.org.uk/

Date of issue - 27th April 2010