focus NAPPIES & CHANGING
“Information from The Nappy Alliance illustrates that the UK throws away nearly 3,000,000,000 disposable nappies a year”
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or every child born, around 6,000 nappy changes could take place during the time prior to an infant being fully toilet trained! With that in mind, its little wonder that this is a growing sector and fortunately we have a plethora of products available that are designed to assist when it comes to nappy change time. One area however that is becoming more evident is that parents are starting to look at the impact disposable nappies play on our environment. It’s astounding how many nappies head toward landfill sites from general household waste. We asked TotsBots Fiona Smyth if she felt parents are more eco-aware with regard to nappies? “Definitely, compared to 20 years ago the response we used to hear was always ‘wow do people still use those - usually with raised eyebrows - with no idea of the positive environmental benefits of using cloth nappies.” She said. “Now most parents know that cloth nappies are an option and that they reduce waste, but they are still surprised by the fact they aren’t squares and pins.“ Are we seeing an increase in demand therefore for reusable nappies? Fiona would give a definitive yes in response to this, stating: “You just need to look at the increased trend on online searches for reusable nappies. Especially over the last 3-4 years as more and more parents are becoming concerned about the environment.” Behind the scenes, The Nappy Alliance has continually worked hard to raise this issue, with the Environment Minister Rebecca Pow having confirmed that there will be powers in the new Environment Bill currently making its way through parliament to legislate on nappies. This follows a statement by Lord Goldsmith in November that the Department for the Environment were looking to address pollution caused by single-use nappies. Information from The Nappy Alliance illustrates that the UK throws away nearly 3,000,000,000 disposable nappies a year, costing local authorities over £60 million per annum for disposal, all of which will go through household waste streams which means either incineration or landfill where they can take more than 300 years to break down. Disposable nappies are one of the biggest contributors to
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nursery today
The bottom line Nappy changing is a daily routine, and one which isn’t just once per day! Here we take a closer look.
single-use plastic waste, the worst cause of contamination in recycling and cost councils and parents too much money whilst damaging the environment. For further information on The Nappy Alliance, visit www.nappyalliance.co.uk With the above information in mind, would it be fair perhaps to say that many are also looking at re-usable nappies for their potential cost saving properties? “The cost element really is down to the system decided upon. For example, if you go down the terry towelling/prefold/muslin route the cost is lower than the Modern Cloth Nappy system which is more expensive,” commented Merrygoround’s Caroline Taylor. “Many users tend to mix what they have. But in all cases it is a lower cost from birth to potty if cloth is used over disposables.” However, not all disposable nappies fall into this category - for example there are great eco disposable nappies available for those who feel they just can’t commit to using reusable nappy systems. Nursery Today asked Mama Bamboo’s Laura Crawford for her views on disposable nappies that have also been specifically created with eco-credentials. “Over the last decade the standard UK council approach to tackling the nappy and wipe issue has been to encourage the Real Nappy Scheme. Unfortunately, this really hasn’t seen much uptake. Around 7% of parents choose re-useables at least some of the time, but many cannot commit to the extra laundering or do not find that re-useables offer them the same performance of a disposable. Even the most dedicated parents will often use a combination of re-useables and eco-nappies. “93% of parents continue to choose to use disposable nappies and wipes. By creating a more sustainable solution utilising bamboo and corn starch, we hope to reduce the impact on the environment whilst offering parents the convenience and performance that they require.” With a growing uptake in use, we asked Caroline whether she feels that there is sufficient innovation with regard to the design of a re-usable nappy? “There are many many re-usable nappy designs with more appearing constantly with same design differences. Then there is the traditional terry towel, that we produce, which is still one of
the most low cost, birth to potty and efficient of the all cloth nappies available. But with the new modern cover over the top which is the game changer.” Fiona feels that when we look at innovation there is now more focus on the fabrics used stating: “In terms of shape and fit there’s not much more room for innovation, babies are still the same shape after all! But as for the fabrics and production methodology yes, especially with the rise of the use of yarn made from recycled fibres. TotsBots were the first reusable nappy brand in the world to make the switch to 100% recycled polyester in our waterproof fabrics in our nappies and we are constantly looking at ways to improve the performance and durability of our nappies while reducing environmental impacts even further - all through innovation and design.” Setting the nappy to one side, there are of course many products that fall into this category are extensive. Parents will look at a whole host of items into the nappy changing category, for example, changing mats, changing stations, changing bags, nappy wipes, nappy bins, nappy sacks and nappy creams – the list can be quite extensive. Changing mats are a fast moving product within this category. We asked My Babiie’s, Tallulah McPhee what parents look for when choosing a changing mat? “When consumers are shopping for changing mats they are mainly looking at the design printed on the changing mats. Most changing mats on the market are very similar in function and price so the main differentiating factor is the print that is on it. The prints that feature on changing mats are super important to parents. People want something that is in tune with their tastes and often in fitting with their home nursery design. My Babiie is constantly updating their changing mat designs for the fashion forward parent, keeping a keen eye on the latest design trends and fashions.” We highlight a number of products that are available to order now that can greatly assist parents with nappy changing.
