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Information about nappies

Nandor Tanczos MP

24 May 2004
Subject: Waste

Spokesperson: 
Green Party Waste-Free Spokesperson

Cloth nappies are easy to use. Nappy liners and washing aids takes the mess out of cleaning, and the modern design of ready folded shaped nappies takes any chore out of cloth nappies.

The impact on our environment

  • It takes one full cup of crude oil to make the plastic for each "disposable" nappy.
  • 1.3 million trees a year are felled for NZ babies in disposable nappies.
    Disposable nappies use 3.5 times more energy, 8 times more non-renewable raw materials, 90 times more renewable materials than reusable nappies.
  • It takes as much energy to produce one disposable nappy as it does to wash a cloth nappy 200 times.
  • One baby in disposables will produce 2 tonnes of solid waste!

    • Disposable nappies take up to 500 years to decompose in landfill sites and can harbour up to 100 different types of virus, including live polio virus from vaccines.

For the health of your baby

  • Chemicals and gels contained in the absorbent layer of "disposables" aren?t subject to government controls or independent testing, and there is no labelling requirement on the packaging.
  • There have been NO long-term studies into the effects on skin of constant exposure to the polyacralyte super absorbent gels found in most disposable nappies (gels that were deemed unsafe and removed from tampons in 1985).
  • Cloth nappies do NOT cause nappy rash. Leaving a baby in a wet/soiled nappy for too long creates nappy rash!

Washing Tips

  • Choose to use baking soda or white vinegar as a nappy soaker and add a drop of tea tree oil to sanitize. This costs around $40.00per year. The nappy also turns out MUCH whiter with just the baking soda in the wash and no nappy soak.Nappy soak also means potential increase of chemicals on baby?s skin.
  • Choose to use washing soaks and powder without phosphorus to reduce the impact on the environment.
  • Choose to drypail, which is much easier, cheaper, less messy and means no chemicals.

Cost Comparison of Nappies

Infants typically wear nappies for two and a half years. In this time they wear around 6000 nappies. There are a variety of figures around for the cost of this in cloth and disposable. This averages out to be $3324 for disposables and $1061 for cloth (including laundering) for the nappy life of a baby. This equates to a saving of $2263.

Other costs

  • Wipes
  • Rubbish bags
  • Nappy wrapper

To our knowledge there are no current laundering services specifically for nappies. It is essential that these services are set up so busy parents have a realistic option of using cloth nappies. We have written to government and local government for their support to help individuals set up laundering services or for them to provide it themselves. Not only is this a civil service that should be provided for parents and a huge environmental issue that needs to be dealt with at a higher level but local government is spending money dumping disposables. The Christchurch City Council estimates that they spend at least $220,000 per year on nappies to landfill. This money could be used to subsidise laundering services that swap soiled naps for clean ones, as many local bodies in Britain are now doing.

What they are doing in England

There is cross-organisational support for the movement towards using reusable nappies in England. This has been initiated and led by the Women?s Environmental Network who has established an annual ?real nappy week? that has been running for the past 8 years. It has been growing support and momentum every year so now nappy waste prevention is one of the major points in the government?s Waste Implementation Programme. The real nappy campaign and home composting have been chosen to lead the government's new waste reduction strategy with a target to convert an additional 155,000 households to real nappy use by April 2006. Local authorities, the NHS, the government, nurseries and parents? organisations all have an important role to play in making this happen.

So far there is cross party support for the initiative with 108 MP?s signed up and 356 local authorities. New Zealand is evidently behind the times.

The aim of real nappy week is to raise awareness of the environmental impacts of nappies and to inform parents about modern, shaped and fitted cloth nappies and laundry services. It is about providing a realistic choice in nappy use.

What you can do

  • Download our flyer and spread it around - talk to people, let them know the options, how easy it is and the health, financial and environmental benefits.
  • Have 'nappuchino' mornings which provide the opportunity to meet other parents who have experience of using real nappies. Put up a display to promote the benefits.
  • Take a cloth nappy class ? let people see how easy it is.
  • Write to your local council and the government asking them to support a nappy laundering service and provide incentives to use cloth nappies.
  • Create a mountain of Nappy Waste To highlight the difference in the amount of rubbish created by the use of disposable nappies as compared to cloth nappies. Make it in a public space like the town square,outside the town hall or other appropriate location where there is plenty of space and it won't cause an obstruction. Take a photo of the mountain of disposable nappy waste with a cloth nappy wearing baby in the foreground with a neatly folded pile of 20 cloth nappies beside her/him. Get a celebrity, your local MP, Mayor or Council leader to add to the impact.

    The mountain should consist of either 52 black bags to represent 1 year's use of disposables or 130 bags to represent 2.5 years as being the period in which babies generally wear nappies.

    INVITE THE MEDIA

    • For more information:
    http://www.wen.org.uk/rnw/you_can_do.htm
    http://www.wen.org.uk/nappies/ Link to WEN site.
    http://www.google.com/cobrand?q=nappies&cof=AWPID%3Aa8950e2d10433e59%3B&...
    http://www.wrap.org.uk/index.asp
    or contact the Womens's Environemnt Network at nappies@wen.org.uk

Where you can buy cloth nappies

  • Bohny Babies
    Bohny Babies is a family business, based in Christchurch. They have a great selection of nappies including the worlds most eco friendly nappy system.
    Ph 03 960 1958
    0800 336 337 (0800 EENEES)
    heidi@econappiesnz.com
    www.econappiesnz.com
  • Nap-Naps by Natural Parenting New Zealand, a Christchurch based family business and online shop that sells ONE SIZE fitted nappies including covers and are entirely 100% NZ Made.
    Range includes Organic Merino Wool. Go to: www.napnaps.co.nz
    Ph 03 980 8559
    Email: info@naturalparenting.co.nz
  • Ecobaby NZ Ltd
    Claire Steer
    PO Box 56
    Pauanui Beach
    Ph 07 864 7694
    Fax 07 864 7684
    www.ecobaby.co.nz
  • Eco Nappies
    Ecobots, is a family business based in Christchurch. They sell reusable cloth nappies, covers and liners.
    03 389 7787
    www.econappies.co.nz
  • Funkybumz
    A Hamilton based family business that sells reusable cloth nappies with a range of products.
    07-829-9942
    funkybumz@actrix.co.nz
  • Fuzzibunz
    A Wellington based business that sells stay dry pocket nappies and
    nappy accessories.
    04 476 7621
    charity@fuzzibunz.co.nz
    www.fuzzibunz.co.nz
  • Nature Baby
    An Auckland based family business selling a range of eco-friendly baby products including cloth nappies.
    09 360 8547
    free phone 0800 222 920
    www.naturebaby.co.nz
    09-360-8546
  • Snazzipants
    an Auckland based family business and online shop that sells fitted nappies, also prefolds, covers and pocket nappies.
    09 480 0565
    info@snazzipants.co.nz
    www.snazzipants.co.nz
  • If you want to be involved in further dicussion with other cloth nappy users check out this link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ozclothnappies/

For more information