The nappy debate

The nappy debate has been going on since the 60's when disposables were invented. In recent years the discussion has revolved around environmental issues as well as your babies health. If you’re confused about which type of nappy you should use, you’re not alone. It really comes down to what you value most, because both disposable and reusable nappies effect the environment.

Neither disposable nappies nor washable nappies carry a greater overall environmental impact. Most environmentalists agree that there is no significant difference between any of the environmental impacts. Overall no system has a better or worse environmental performance because disposable nappies contribute to waste and cloth nappies consume water,energy and detergents.

Some reasons for people consider which type of nappy to buy are:

cost including pins, cream, overpants, liners health- doesn't induce rashes or infection ease change structure- do they fit properly and avoid leaks convenience- is it time consuming the environment- are the nappies eco-friendly

What can you do?

If you use reusables :

only flush the liners containing pooh use eco-friendly detergent at low temperatures wash full washing machine loads don’t use fabric softener washing at the lowest temperature possible hang to dry when possible rather than tumble buy green electricity

Most people who choose reusables nappies believe they were cheaper or were better for the environment and uses disposables some of the time. It is up to the preferences of the parent since both types have negative effects on the environment. For disposable nappies, the main impacts relate to manufacturing including raw material production and waste management. For home use reusables and commercial laundering, the main source of environmental impact is from generating the electricity used in washing and drying. The biggest challenge is for the nappy manufacturers to come up with eco-friendly solutions to their products.

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