Environmental Issues
Disposable and washable nappies are very different, and their environmental impact is therefore not as simple to assess as one might suppose. With a disposable nappy, the greatest area of impact is disposal (usually in landfill), then manufacture, with the actual use stage of the nappy having very little environmental impact, as it can only be used once. With terry nappies, the greatest area of impact is in the use stage of the nappy’s life due to the laundry of the nappies, with manufacture and disposal being relatively less significant. Of course for many parents the mere fact that they can choose between using 4,500 disposable nappies, or 24 reusable ones, sums up the relative environmental impact in a nutshell, and as landfill is a major issue in the UK, that is hardly surprising.
A Life Cycle Assessment report for the UK government in 2008 offers independent evidence that terry nappies can be up to 40% better for the environment than disposables. And the key to this is in the hands of you, the parent. The thing to take on board is that with disposable nappies, you have no control over the environmental impact they have. Terry nappies are a different matter altogether, because parents are completely in control of the environmental impact that they have in everyday use. So you can keep the environmental impact of your terry nappies to a minimum – just follow these simple guidelines as set out by the Real Nappy Campaign:
These simple measures are already followed by many families, and not only are they good for the environment, they also save you money! Click here for more ways to save money with terry nappies!
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