Real Nappy Week begins on Monday

Real Nappy Week will kick off operations on Monday (15 April), as part of a week-long campaign to encourage ‘a new generation of parents’ to do away with disposable nappies and embrace the washable.

Organised by Go Real, the week aims to encourage parents to spread the word of the benefits of using ‘real’ nappies, in an effort to crack down on landfill and save money.

According to Go Real, as many as three billion nappies enter the waste stream every year in the UK, generating over 690,000 tonnes of waste.

As such, research undertaken by the Women’s Environmental Network – the group behind the Real Nappies for London scheme – found that using ‘real’ nappies, rather than disposable nappies, could save the average parent as much as £500 per child, increasing to further ‘significant’ savings if the same washable nappies are used for subsequent children.

Throughout Real Nappy Week there will be a daily theme, highlighting the individual benefits of switching to washable nappies:

• Monday 15 April - Real Choice

Parents can find out about the benefits of switching to washable nappies and receive trial kits to ‘try before [they] buy’;

• Tuesday 16 April - Real Fun

‘Fashion shows’ of ‘fun as well as practical’ real nappies;

• Wednesday 17 April - Real £hange

Advice on the financial savings of switching and special offers and prizes;

• Thursday 18 April - Real Easy

Promotion of the ‘ease’ of real nappies, including tips and advice;

• Friday 19 April - Real Future

Information on the environmental benefits of switching to real nappies ahead of the govnernmnet’s 2013 'Call for Evidence' investigating the statistics of Real Nappies vs Disposables

• Saturday 20 April - Real Change - The Great Cloth Diaper Change

An event at ‘Real Nappy Libraries’ to break the word record for the number of washable nappies changed simultaneously

• Sunday 21 April - Real Clean

Washing tips and guides including a summary of advice from Defra.

Parents are being asked to support each theme by emailing videos, interviews, pictures, queries, tips, funny moments, experiences and events to Go Real, to be showcased each day.

Activities and events will take place alongside the themed week, including The Great Cloth Diaper Change, a worldwide event aimed at breaking its own world record for the number of washable nappies changed simultaneously.

In conjunction with Real Nappy Week, Go Real are establishing a ‘nursery certification scheme’, whereby concerned parents will be able to find ‘real’ nappy friendly nurseries. The free scheme offers participating nurseries a certificate that demonstrates their status as a ‘Real Nappy friendly nursery’.

Diaper support

Many councils have introduced trial packs of washable nappies to encourage more people to switch from disposable nappies.

In support of Real Nappy Week 2013, Lambeth Borough Council has introduced the Lambeth Nappy Pack in a bid to tackle the reported 2,000 tonnes of waste resulting from nappies every year at a cost of £300,000.

The support packs contain three ‘all in one’ and ‘one size fits all’ style washable nappies, a roll of liners and a booster liner.

Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability in Lambeth, Councillor Imogen Walker, said: “Real nappies are a lot easier to use than they used to be and as well as being greener, there are financial benefits for parents too. It’s estimated you can save up to £650 per child by switching to real nappies.”

Waste Awareness Wales (WAW) has also joined calls for increased uptake of washable nappies, after finding that an estimated 200 million disposable nappies are thrown away each year in Wales.

According to Waste Reduction Officer for WAW, Lyndsey Stewart real nappies have “come a long way since simple terry squares were the only kind on the market”.

She continued: “They are very easy to use and are now available in many different styles and designs from a range of online retailers as well as certain high street stores. We’re encouraging parents to take this opportunity to try real nappies and see the advantages for themselves.”