With our baby now 5 weeks old we are well on our way to establishing a routine. Sleep is now a fairly regular occurrence and everyone is adapting to the changes. Another aspect of life with a baby that is going smoothly and whilst not the most obvious of subjects, is one I feel strongly about – nappies.
We made the decision before Willoughby was born that we would like to try a more eco-friendly alternative to disposable nappies and all of the associated wastage they create. Some of the numbers make it very attractive environmentally and financially.
In the UK, 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away every day with around 90% of those going to landfill. That is an absolutely shocking number and was enough to start us seriously looking at reusables. Consider also some of the other ways that disposables hit the environment: chemicals, adhesives and paper used in their manufacture, transport between factory, distribution, shops, etc. All of this leads up to that huge number going to landfill every day.
Reusables are not entirely without environmental impact. They have to be washed and dried regularly using water, electricity, wash powder (eco-friendly of course).
Various reports suggest that considering all associated costs over 2.5 years – nappy purchase, washing, electricity, etc – reusable nappies are between £250 and £600 cheaper than the disposable alternative. So it was clear to us that our bank account would feel the benefit as well as massively reduced impact on the environment.
Cloth nappies have definitely come a long way from the square terry towels I had as a baby and there are various brands and options to choose from. Resuable nappies are shaped and as simple to put on as a disposable using velcro tabs to fasten. Popular options include those made from Bamboo or ‘teddy’ fleece materials. Bamboo is a sustainable source and the nappies are very soft and absorbent. They do take a very long time to dry however. Teddy nappies are amazingly soft – just fantastic – and they dry very quickly so even better environmentally.
We purchased a complete Bambinex kit and some additional teddy nappies from Makesachange who are always helpful and have a great selection of organic and fair-trade products.
Once into a routine of washing and drying, they are no effort at all. Used nappies go in a wash bucket and we complete a wash every couple of days. We have 20 nappies to rotate through so this easily covers 2 days with some to spare. The nappies are soft and seem to keep Willoughby very comfortable.
One other benefit we hadn’t really considered before is how incredibly cute they are. Much more photogenic for those early photo shoots.
For a little additional effort with washing and drying, we can drastically reduce how much waste we would otherwise be sending to landfill. That remains for us the most compelling reason for using cloth nappies. The fact we should save money as well is an added bonus and something that doesn’t often happen when you take the green option.
by Andy
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