Benefits of Reusable Nappies

GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

The average child goes through approximately 6-7000 disposable nappies from birth to potty training. All of these nappies go straight to landfill! These nappies contain many harmful chemicals that are subsequently dispersed into the environment. Not to mention the environmental impact of manufacturing all these nappies! Also, did you know that every disposable nappy every produced is STILL in existence! Crazy, right?!

Make the switch to cloth and you will need approximately 20-30 nappies from birth to potty training…and beyond! Just think about all those disposables not going to landfill! These nappies are durable and will last for multiple children, with the number of nappies required increasing if you have multiple children in cloth at the same time.

But what about the additional water used in washing cloth nappies? This is a common concern for people, but let me tell you, the amount of water used to wash your cloth nappies doesn't even compare to the amount of water used in manufacturing disposable nappies. It takes approximately 545 litres of water to produce ONE disposable nappy, that's approximately 3-4million litres for one child until potty training! Washing cloth nappies increases your weekly washing by approximately 3 loads (depending how many nappies you have and how often you wash them), and at approximately 65litres per load that's an additional 195litres per week. Let's say you are doing 3 additional loads of washing per week for 3 years (although likely to reduce as number of nappies used reduces as your child gets older), that equates to approximately 30.4k litres of additional water used. Doesn't even compare to disposables, right?

 

GOOD FOR YOUR WALLET

7000 disposable nappies versus 30 cloth nappies - which do you think costs more? Hint: it's not the cloth nappies!

Sure, the initial cost of purchasing your cloth nappy stash may seem expensive, but compare that to the cost of purchasing disposables over approximately 3 years! Depending on the brand of cloth nappy, you could spend as little as £150 or as much as £700 with some of the more luxury brands. Disposable nappies will cost approximately £1,750 (7000 nappies at £0.25 each). I know which I'd rather choose!

Of course, you'll have to factor in the cost of the additional loads of washing, but realistically that isn't going to equate to over £1,000 over 3 years to match the cost of disposables! And when you factor in the savings with subsequent children, it's a no brainer!

 

GOOD FOR BUB

Disposable nappies contain a wide range of chemicals, many of which are highly toxic. The problem is that many nappy companies do not disclose the full list of ingredients in their nappies, as they're not actually required to! It's shocking that something that goes directly against your baby's skin is not regulated!

With reusable nappies the ingredients are clear. You know what you're putting on your baby's skin and you can ensure you're comfortable with it. Many materials used in cloth nappies are made with natural fibres such as bamboo or hemp. These materials are also sustainable.

Also, a study conducted by Bristol University found that reusable nappies were no more likely to cause nappy rash than disposable nappies. In my own personal experience, my children have never had nappy rash and they have been in cloth full time since 6 months old (my son) and birth (my daughter).