Parents and carers in North London have the opportunity to claim a subsidy of £54.14 to purchase and trial reusable cloth nappies as part of the 20th annual ‘Real Nappy Week’ this week (18 – 24 April).
Through its Wise Up To Waste campaign, the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) has supported the use of reusable nappies since 2005, and is celebrating this week by offering parents/carers this subsidy to encourage them to trial ‘real’ nappies.
The subsidy can be claimed firectly from councils in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest.
A baby uses an average of 6,000 nappies from birth to potty, according to NLWA, which also claims that the long-term benefits include saving money and reducing waste. North London currently has a recycling rate of 33 per cent of nappies, with a 50 per cent target in place for 2020.
Real Nappy Week, organised by nappy information service Go Real, is a campaign to promote the use of reusable cloth nappies across the UK. According to the not-for-profit project, three billion nappies are used by the estimated 813,000 babies born every year, equating to over 355,000 tonnes of waste and an annual disposal cost to local authorities and tax payers of £32 million.
Switching from single-use nappies to cloth ones, it says, would lead to a 40 per cent carbon saving. Additionally, Go Real estimates that the switch could save parents £100-£1,000 per child.
A week of activities
Go Real have organised events across the UK such as the first ever Cloth Nappy Awards, mini giveaways and chances to win free cloth nappies. Real Nappies for London (RNfL) is also offering vouchers and advice at their website to help people make the switch from disposable to reusable nappies.
Commenting on the benefits of cloth nappies, Amanda Irwin, a mother from Islington, who was a ‘real nappy sceptic’, said: “I’ve been using real nappies with Beatrix since she was born, they are easy to use and we have a variety of different brands. I would highly recommend other mums giving reusable nappies a go. Even part time use if a help with your household costs and waste, they’re better for the environment.”
More information can be found at the Wise Up To Waste website.
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