Re-usable nappies
Real Nappy Week
From Monday 26th April to Friday 30th April it's Real Nappy Week. For this week the Recycling Exhibition Trailer will be out and about in Wolverhampton to answer any of your questions on Real Nappies and recycling.
Why use real nappies?
There are many reasons to use real nappies including:
- are easy to use
- save you money
- are easy to wash
- come in lots of styles and designs
- can help reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
Combat climate change with real nappies
Using real nappies can mean significant gains for the environment both in reduced greenhouse gases and household waste sent to landfill or incineration.
The UK currently throws away around 3 billion disposable nappies every year. They are estimated to weigh 690,000 tonnes most of which are landfilled where they generate methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
For each baby born, it costs approximately £610 in disposable nappies from birth to potty, if a parent used real nappies it would cost around £185 giving a saving of about £425 per baby. In Wolverhampton there are in the region of 3,500 babies born per year therefore almost £1.5m is wasted on disposable nappies.
Incentive scheme
We run a scheme to encourage you to use re-usable nappies:
- £30 cash back on production of an original receipt, to prove that you have purchased real nappies. (Minimum purchase of £30 required per child).
Real nappy facts
Reduced waste
Parents using real nappies are able to reduce their waste. This is according to an Environment Agency report that looked at the environmental impacts of both real nappies and disposables.
Global warming impact
If you follow the Real Nappy Campaigns top ten tips your global warming impact would be less than when using disposable nappies.
Energy use
Parents are recommended to wash soiled nappies in full loads at 60oC using low energy rated washing machines, allowing them to dry naturally wherever possible. Washable nappies do not need to be soaked prior to washing and do not need ironing.
Cost
Home laundered nappies could save parents up to £500 on the cost of keeping a baby in nappies.
Waste
Nearly three billion disposable nappies are thrown away in the UK every year creating over 690,000 tons of nappy waste.
Useful links
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The Real Nappy Campaign is a not-for-profit company administered by Rezolve Kernow with initial membership from LARAC, Rezolve Kernow, the Nappy Alliance, WEN and WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme).
LARAC is the Local Authority Advisory Committee which represents local authority recycling officers within the UK. ReZolve Kernow is a not for profit organisation encouraging sustainability, with a focus on waste and material resource use.
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WRAP works in partnership to encourage and enable businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often. This helps to minimise landfill, reduce carbon emissions and improve our environment.
To find out more about Real Nappy Week or the Real Nappy Campaign visit the website;
www.realnappycampaign.com or contact City Direct on 01902 551155.
Contact us
For more information you can contact us using our online contact form or by;
e-mail: city.direct@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Phone: 01902 551155
Minicom: 01902 555554
Fax: 01902 551195
Write:
City Direct
Customer and Shared Services
Wolverhampton City Council
Civic Centre, St. Peter's Square
Wolverhampton
WV1 1RL