The case for using cloth nappies
An environmental study of nappies revealed that there was no
difference between cloth reusables and disposables, when it comes to
environmental damage. That study was flawed, though, because it made
some wildly inaccurate assumptions about cloth nappy users - such as
they iron their nappies and that they wash them at 90 degrees.Most eco-conscious mums know that washing at 90 degrees is wasteful, and many of them also avoid expensive detergents, choosing things like soap nuts - hence they are making less shopping trips and their products require less delivery lorries. You could go on and on examining the whys and wherefores, but it is a fairly proven fact that cloth nappies are less harmful for the environment (if used by non-wasteful people, obviously).
Martine Carroll, founder of Modern Baby, says, "Each child uses up to 5,000 nappies during their first two years and the positive impact of using reusable nappies is immense. Parents can save around £600 per child compared to the cost of using disposables and this increases significantly if the nappies are used on other children.
"In addition, with more and more councils moving towards fortnightly disposal collection, using reusables means less waste festering in wheelie bins or filling up landfill sites."
Disposables are filling up precious landfill space. In the UK alone we throw away 8 million disposable nappies every day. Each child could easily go through 5,000 nappies in their infancy. It's easy to see, then, why more and more people are going back to cloth.
Martine adds, "Cotton nappies are the original breathable nappies. They are completely natural with no gels or chemicals to absorb liquid, just the natural absorbency of the cloth, which makes cotton soft and kind on your baby's skin. One-way liners allow moisture to pass through helping to keep baby's skin dry."
Mums who worry about convenience are often pleasantly surprised as well.
"Cotton nappies are so much easier than you may think," says Martine. "Flushable liners mean less mess. Soaking and boiling is a thing of the past; store used nappies in a bucket with a lid and when you're ready to wash, a simple 60° wash is all that is needed."
Cloth nappies appear, at first glance, to be very expensive, but compared with disposables over time they do work out cheaper. Cloth nappy wearers are also less prone to nappy rash, according to a recent study at Bristol University, which said, "The type of nappy worn did not emerge as a significant factor. Therefore, and contrary to widespread belief, disposable nappies seem to have little protective effect." The most important factor in avoiding nappy rash is keeping your baby clean with regular nappy changes.
For more information on Modern Baby, visit: www.modernbaby.co.uk
Cloth nappy resources
Discussion: new report shows re-usable nappies are betterReal nappies are up to 40% better for the environment than disposables; a new report from the government has stated today.
Cloth nappy sellers
Look through our extensive list of websites for sellers and advisors.
Buy and sell nappies
Members of our forum can buy and sell reusable nappies for free. Something you aren't allowed to do on Ebay because they consider cloth nappies to be "used underwear".
