Re-usable nappy scheme saves millions from landfill
Nearly two million disposable nappies have been saved from landfill over the past five years thanks to a council’s re-usable nappy incentive scheme.
To mark Reusable Nappy Week, Powys County Council revealed that 388 families have benefitted from the initiative, which reimburses parents up to £100 towards the cost of reusable nappies, since 2018.
The scheme aims to remove the financial barrier which can prevent some families from choosing cloth nappies – despite the overall cost of disposables from birth to potty training often working out more expensive.
Councillor Jackie Charlton, cabinet member for a greener Powys, said: “Reusable nappies are a great way to do your bit for the environment by using less plastic and reducing the amount of waste we throw away.
“To encourage more families in Powys to be greener, we have a real nappy incentive, which offers £100 cash-back when you purchase your first set of reusable nappies.
“This scheme has been running for a long time, but during the last five years we have supported approximately 388 families to invest in real nappies.
“We estimate that this has helped these families save over £290,000 on disposable nappy costs and resulted in diverting nearly 2,000,000 individual single-use disposable nappies being thrown away.”
Welshpool mum Keri Trigg accessed the council scheme before her son Dougie was born last May.
She said: “I always wanted to try reusables with my first child but never got around to it, so this time I made sure to do the research and stock up in advance.
“The council initiative was a big help as the upfront cost can be off-putting.
“There are so many reasons to choose reusables. For us it’s the environmental impact, but others opt for them because of the overall cost saving, they are more breathable, they hold babies’ hips in a better position for development, or because they don’t contain chemicals.
“I feel good that we are doing our bit for the planet and setting an example for Dougie and his brother about reducing waste. Two extra loads of washing a week is a small price to pay.”
Waste and recycling charity WRAP estimates each child will require around 5,000 nappy changes by the time they potty train, assuming this happens around the age of two and a half.
However with charity says with reusables, a child will only need around 30 nappies – and they can be used again on any younger siblings, making the cost and environmental saving even greater.
More information about the scheme can be found on the council’s website, or from county midwives and health visitors.
