Why Not Choose Washable Nappies?
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Reading article "Why Not Choose Washable Nappies?" - Reply to this / 1 comment(s)
Why Choose Washable Nappies?
Nappies used to be such a hassle; our mums had no choice but to use washable nappies, clumsy pins, and those annoying plastic pants. Then disposable nappies were invented and most mothers thought it was a miracle. Now, about 95% of babies use disposable nappies. But are disposable nappies really better? Before you go grab a pack of disposables, consider some of the benefits of using washable nappies instead.
Work out about how many nappies you use in a week and times it by 52. Next time you go to buy nappies, take a closer look at how much they cost. By the time your baby is potty trained you could have gone through 4,000 to 6,000 disposable nappies. This will cost at least £488 and maybe as much as £732. By comparison you only need from 25-30 real nappies which can cost as little as £185 including the washing (figures from the Real Nappy Campaign).
Individually reusable nappies are more expensive, but you don’t have to buy them every week at the supermarket. Washable nappies have the added expense of a few more washing loads a week, but it still doesn’t compare to the cost of using disposable nappies. In addition many local authorities offer incentives including cash back.
Better for the environment
Now, if you think about the number of nappies you calculated earlier and times that by how many other people in the world use disposable nappies every year, that’s a LOT of nappies isn’t it?
* Disposable nappies comprise about 2.6% of the average UK household rubbish in a year. (Source: Enviros Consulting Ltd and University of Birmingham with Risk and Policy Analysts Ltd, Open University and Maggie Thurgood, (March 2004), ‘Review of Environmental and Health Effects of Waste Management: Municipal Solid Waste and Similar Wastes.’)
* This is the same weight as almost 70,000 double-decker buses. (Source: Waste Watch calculation)
* If lined up from front to end, the buses would stretch from Edinburgh to London. (Source: Waste Watch calculation)
Not only do they take up tons of space, they don’t break down and biodegrade. Using real nappies reduces both the amount of waste sent for incineration and also the amount of energy and non-renewable resources used to produce disposables.
Finally, disposable nappies are just left sitting in landfills full of hazardous waste. All used disposable nappies in an area end up in the same landfill site. Yuck!
Kinder on the skin
When I had my youngest child I decided to use washable nappies. Not because they were cheaper or environmentally friendly, but because she had inherited her daddy’s eczema and whenever I used disposables she’d break out in a horrible rash. If you switch to washable nappies, you may discover that some of your child’s nappy rash was actually caused by the irritation from disposables. Even if your kids don't develop an allergy, nappies contain toxic chemicals including Dioxin, which can cause skin diseases, cancer, liver damage, birth defects, and genetic disorders. And you know those strange crystals you see when you rip open up a nappy? Those are the same chemicals removed from tampons because they were linked with toxic shock syndrome in women. Of course, the chances these chemicals might harm your baby is low, but why risk it at all?
Easier to use than you think!
Most mums choose disposables because they think washable nappies are annoying and inconvenient. What they don’t realise is that washable nappies have changed since we were babies. You don’t have to use “Terries” unless you really want to!
With the new generation of washable nappies, nappy pins have been replaced with convenient poppers and Aplix (a velcro-like material - Velcro itself isn’t flexible enough). You can also get shaped nappies to help keep out leaks. Plastic pants have now been replaced by breathable PUL or wool wraps. If you just like the convenience of disposable nappies, there are now all in one washable nappies that require no folding, no liners, and can just be thrown straight in the wash (especially popular with dads!)
So, why not save the environment, save some money, and help your kids stay healthy by using washable nappies?
Why Choose Washable Nappies?
Nappies used to be such a hassle; our mums had no choice but to use washable nappies, clumsy pins, and those annoying plastic pants. Then disposable nappies were invented and most mothers thought it was a miracle. Now, about 95% of babies use disposable nappies. But are disposable nappies really better? Before you go grab a pack of disposables, consider some of the benefits of using washable nappies instead.
Work out about how many nappies you use in a week and times it by 52. Next time you go to buy nappies, take a closer look at how much they cost. By the time your baby is potty trained you could have gone through 4,000 to 6,000 disposable nappies. This will cost at least £488 and maybe as much as £732. By comparison you only need from 25-30 real nappies which can cost as little as £185 including the washing (figures from the Real Nappy Campaign).
Individually reusable nappies are more expensive, but you don’t have to buy them every week at the supermarket. Washable nappies have the added expense of a few more washing loads a week, but it still doesn’t compare to the cost of using disposable nappies. In addition many local authorities offer incentives including cash back.
Better for the environment
Now, if you think about the number of nappies you calculated earlier and times that by how many other people in the world use disposable nappies every year, that’s a LOT of nappies isn’t it?
* Disposable nappies comprise about 2.6% of the average UK household rubbish in a year. (Source: Enviros Consulting Ltd and University of Birmingham with Risk and Policy Analysts Ltd, Open University and Maggie Thurgood, (March 2004), ‘Review of Environmental and Health Effects of Waste Management: Municipal Solid Waste and Similar Wastes.’)
* This is the same weight as almost 70,000 double-decker buses. (Source: Waste Watch calculation)
* If lined up from front to end, the buses would stretch from Edinburgh to London. (Source: Waste Watch calculation)
Not only do they take up tons of space, they don’t break down and biodegrade. Using real nappies reduces both the amount of waste sent for incineration and also the amount of energy and non-renewable resources used to produce disposables.
Finally, disposable nappies are just left sitting in landfills full of hazardous waste. All used disposable nappies in an area end up in the same landfill site. Yuck!
Kinder on the skin
When I had my youngest child I decided to use washable nappies. Not because they were cheaper or environmentally friendly, but because she had inherited her daddy’s eczema and whenever I used disposables she’d break out in a horrible rash. If you switch to washable nappies, you may discover that some of your child’s nappy rash was actually caused by the irritation from disposables. Even if your kids don't develop an allergy, nappies contain toxic chemicals including Dioxin, which can cause skin diseases, cancer, liver damage, birth defects, and genetic disorders. And you know those strange crystals you see when you rip open up a nappy? Those are the same chemicals removed from tampons because they were linked with toxic shock syndrome in women. Of course, the chances these chemicals might harm your baby is low, but why risk it at all?
Easier to use than you think!
Most mums choose disposables because they think washable nappies are annoying and inconvenient. What they don’t realise is that washable nappies have changed since we were babies. You don’t have to use “Terries” unless you really want to!
With the new generation of washable nappies, nappy pins have been replaced with convenient poppers and Aplix (a velcro-like material - Velcro itself isn’t flexible enough). You can also get shaped nappies to help keep out leaks. Plastic pants have now been replaced by breathable PUL or wool wraps. If you just like the convenience of disposable nappies, there are now all in one washable nappies that require no folding, no liners, and can just be thrown straight in the wash (especially popular with dads!)
So, why not save the environment, save some money, and help your kids stay healthy by using washable nappies?
http://www.arabellamiller.com
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I agree 100% that real nappies are worth buying and using. I had no hesitation about doing so for our son - it was something I decided almost as soon as I knew I was pregnant. Unfortunately 5 years ago, it was difficult to find comprehensive, understandable information about UK products. Now it's much easier.
Unfortunately once he reached not much more than a year he was leaking every night (with boosters) so we ended up resorting to some of the more eco disposables for nights only. He was just over 2 when he came out of nappies during the day, which was great - much earlier than the other boys at nursery. We've not been as fortunate at night, but we're still using eco disposables so I don't feel quite as bad.
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