 The
Nappy fight
Reusables "put parents in control" says the Women's Environmental
Network. We spoke to them about why they refute the findings of the latest
Environment Agency's study into the environmental impact of both reusable
and disposable nappies.
A wasted opportunity
Understandably, the WEN's reaction to the report was swift and strong.
A press release issued claimed that the conclusion reached by the nappy
lifecycle analysis (LCA) was "based on poor quality data and misses the
point of its own findings".
According to WEN's Ann Link, "This lifecycle analysis is a wasted opportunity
to put the long-standing debate about nappies and the environment to rest.
It says what most other LCAs have: that both systems use similar amounts
of energy but the disposable system uses more materials and puts more
into landfill."
This alone proves that that parents who use cloth nappies can save waste
and rest assured that washing them will cause no more global warming than
disposable nappies, says Link.
Nappy users 'not representative'
The WEN revealed that over 2,000 parents using disposable nappies were
surveyed for the Environment Agency's study, whereas the results for reusable
nappies were drawn from a much smaller sample of 117 parents, reduced
further to 32 because users of terry towelling nappies were relied on
for most assumptions. Sometimes this meant as few as two respondents were
used for certain key assumptions.
"The reusable system has enormous potential"
The Women's Environmental Network stresses that the reusable system
has "enormous potential for improvement in environmental performance"
if advice is given on methods of reducing environmental impact. The WEN
recommends adopting the following steps if you are a reusable nappy user.
- Use an A rated washing machine.
- Follow manufacturers' guidance to wash at 60C.
- Line dry your nappies as much as possible, instead of tumble-drying
them.
- Don't use chemicals when soaking your nappies - it reduces their
performance anyway.
- Add wet nappies to your ordinary washing to minimise washing frequency
and wash them at 40C.
- Store your nappies dry instead of soaking them, where possible, until
you are ready to wash them.
Reusables "put parents in control"
Elizabeth Hartigan, co-ordinator of WEN's real nappy project, is keen
to encourage parents to either start or keep on using reusables and hopes
that the Environment Agency's report has not disheartened people who have
made real efforts and choices in good faith of protecting the planet.
"Using real nappies puts parents in control. With a good washing routine
parents can minimise the environmental impact of their babies' nappies,
reduce waste and save themselves money."
Where to next?
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