Nappies - making an informed choice

You may think that using disposable nappies is convenient, but have you thought about the environmental effects?

Our aim is to give parents an informed choice about alternatives to disposable nappies so that they can help to reduce the burden these place on our environment.

Why you should choose real nappies:

• It is believed that each disposable nappy takes between 200 and 500 years to biodegrade!
• Disposable nappies use up to five times more energy to produce than cotton nappies - including the washing process. The waste from washing is relatively benign compared to the decomposition of disposables
• It is estimated that from 'birth to potty' you will spend between £600 to £1,000 on disposable nappies per child 
• Eight million disposable nappies are thrown away every single day in the UK
• Three billion disposable nappies are thrown away in the UK every year
• Ninety five disposable nappies are thrown away in the UK every second
• Fifty million nappies are thrown away in Leicestershire each year
• The cost to the local taxpayer for dealing with disposable nappies is over £250,000 each year
• No time? There are nappy washing services which should still work out to be cheaper than using disposable nappies and will help the environment

The Borough Council works in partnership with the Leicestershire County Council which has dedicated pages on reusable nappies (lesswaste.org.uk)

The website will also promote events in both the borough and throughout Leicestershire. Remember, there are local advisers who can provide a home demonstration visit if this is more convenient.

Last updated: 10/10/2023 17:08